(4) The Dragon Boarder: Consequences
by Dustnblood
Summary: After essentially being brought back from the grave, Matt Haddock goes with Hiccup on another slew of adventures in an effort to get the Dragon Eye back from the new villain, Viggo Grimborn and his brother Ryker. During their adventures, they learn that some actions in the past come with unintended consequences, involving their returned friend, Ukiah.
1. Chapter 1: The Warning

_**Well, here it is! My fourth Dragon Boarder Story, involving Season 3 of RTTE. I hope you like this story and that it lives up to expectations! Thank you for the support and follows! As usual, enjoy!**_

 **Chapter One: The Warning**

* * *

"Shh! Quiet bud!" Hiccup whispered, gently guiding Toothless out of the dragon hanger. Carrying his friend's set of dragon armor, Hiccup turned around to make sure that none of the other dragons woke up. Barf and Belch were still out, as were Hookfang and Meatlug. Wasatch and Teton were curled up in balls at the back end of the hanger, since Matt couldn't have both of them in his room. Windshear was also snoring in her little stall with Stormfly laying against her, both oblivious to Hiccup and Toothless leaving.

Smiling, Hiccup quickly spun around to jog out. He only had a little bit of time before Astrid would get up to take Stormfly on an early morning flight, and he wasn't wanting her to catch on what he was doing. As he ran out of the hanger, he dropped one of Toothless' armor guards.

Holding his breath as the armor clanged across the deck, he whirled around to make sure none of the dragons woke up. Seeing them only stir a little, he then slowly grabbed to fallen armor piece and cautiously stepped backwards out of the hanger; being quiet as possible with closing the door.

"Whew, that was close." He whispered, turning to Toothless who just growled disapprovingly at the armor.

"What was close?" A voice asked aloud.

Freezing, Hiccup whirled around with wide eyes as he stared at Matt, Heather and Astrid watching him. Matt was smirking at him while folding his arms. "Going for another recon mission?"

"Alone?" Heather quickly added, also folding her arms and glaring at him.

"He-hey guys!" Hiccup stammered, staring at them with wide eyes "What're you doing up?"

"Hiccup Haddock!" Astrid growled, walking in between Matt and Heather "What are you doing?! You know you can't go out there alone without any support or cover! We talked about this! After what happened to Matt, I would think you'd be the one enforcing it!"

Sighing, Hiccup shook his head as he dropped the armor on the deck "I know, I just didn't want to wake anybody up. It's not a big deal anyways!"

"I disagree." Matt huffed, parting his hair to show his head. There, from the top of his eye to the center of his head, was a long gash and scar; revealing the fatal wound he received from the man named Strogg. Frankly, he was lucky to even be breathing.

Hiccup just looked away from him, feeling guilt as he saw the scar. It was his fault for sending Matt to Strogg's trap, and he was lucky that the God's were looking after him, otherwise he was sure he'd never seen him again; or Astrid.

"Hiccup, listen. It's been months since we've seen Viggo!" Astrid began to say, walking towards him "He's not out there! Why would he stay here after that whole-"

"Fiasco?" Hiccup cut in, glaring at her as he walked past her.

"I was going to say episode…" She admitted, feeling bad about talking about the past that was still fresh in his mind. Shaking her head, she quickly continued to say "You have to stop this! You're going to wear yourself out looking for this guy who doesn't want to be found!"

"I'm fine Astrid, really." Hiccup assured, finally letting a small, reassuring smile grow on his face "Besides, I'm not looking just for Viggo or Ryker, but his Hunters!"

"And you what? Expect them to tell you where Viggo is?" Matt interrupted, letting his hair back down to cover the scar. The snowboarder kept growing his scruffy beard, being that it was late summer and getting to the fall months. His black hair was now shaggy, covering his ears and the scar he recently obtained. He was looking like the snowboarder everyone knew him to be. Aside from the leather boots and pants, and a rough spun red tunic he wore when it was warm. "Hiccup, I told you I'd help you; but Astrid's got a point. We haven't even seen a trace of the Hunters since…well, you know." Walking up to Hiccup, he rested his hand on his shoulder, saying "Plus Darien and her Flightmare, Banshee. You'd think she'd be ready to fly against us! Given how much she hates us…"

"Exactly why I'm heading out right now." Hiccup replied resolutely, squaring up to Matt. Looking at Astrid, he then said "Look, there's a lot of unanswered questions out there, and we don't know what's going to happen; but I don't want to sit here and wait! I want to find them, and get one of the Hunters to tell me where Viggo is; at least what he's planning."

Astrid closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Ugh, if you're going, at least let me and Stormfly ride with you then."

"Uh…I don't want a big group…" Hiccup quickly said, glancing at Matt and Heather.

"Well, good news." Matt replied, his goofy grin growing on his face. Leaning against Hiccup, he then said "Heather and I are going on our own ride. We saw an Island a few hours from here and thought we'd check it out. Especially since you don't want us."

"I didn't mean-" Hiccup began to protest.

"I get what you mean Hiccup, you and Astrid go for a recon mission, and we'll do our own. We'll meet up tonight and tell each other what we found." He replied, letting Hiccup go and walking into the hanger. Heather was close behind, obviously looking forward to the trip.

Astrid just stared at Hiccup with her hands on her hip, waiting for him to officially let her come.

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he huffed "Fine…"

Smiling, she quickly rubbed Toothless' head and then bolted into the hanger. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, she saw Matt already saddling Wasatch, as was Heather with Windshear. Teton was still waking up, stretching his wings out.

"You need to slow that kid down, Astrid." Heather called out, seeing her walk into Stormfly's stall "He's running himself ragged."

"You heard me tell him that! And I keep telling him that!" She replied, equally annoyed about it "One of these day's he's going to get himself in trouble that he and Toothless can't get out of!"

"Wouldn't be the first time." Matt chimed in, looking up at Astrid as he finished strapping on the bindings. Making sure the snowboard straps were secure, he looked up at her and reminded "Remember when I first came here? When Alvin got him? Or my personal favorite, when Dagur got him and Heather; plus you with that black curtain thing."

"Not to mention when I…uh…betrayed you two and your dragons." Heather also added, obviously still feeling guilty about her previous life decisions.

"Yeah, it's just, this is different. I don't know how to explain it." She replied, making sure her saddle was secured as well.

"How so?" Heather asked, walking up to her.

"I…I don't know. It just is." She answered, unable to really word how she felt.

Matt was a little more tuned to what she was hinting at, to which he asked "Are you two finally a couple?"

Astrid's face instantly blushed as she whirled around and stared at Matt and Heather. Their dragons were standing behind them, watching her too. "No! I mean…"

Shaking his head, Matt then growled "You two need to make it final. Seriously! It's painful to sit here and watch you two like each other, but not do anything!"

"Matt, drop it!" She growled, recovering from the sudden subject.

Shrugging, both Matt and Heather turned and walked out of the hanger, smiling as they did so. "Just thinking of you two, that's all."

Shaking her head, Astrid slowly walked out behind them, trying to ignore the fact that Matt brought up; even though he nailed the very issue she was struggling with. She did care about Hiccup, and it was easy for her to worry about him and his compulsive decisions, especially of late; he seemed to constantly be on edge.

Arriving on the hanger's deck, she looked around to see that Hiccup and Toothless were nowhere to be seen.

"Uh oh…" Matt whispered, knowing full well the wrath that Hiccup was going to face "Please tell me he didn't just leave you…"

"Without Toothless' armor." She growled, walking up to a pile of the Gronckle Iron armor plates "Urgh! I'm going to kill him!"

"Need us to go with you to find him?" Heather asked, walking next to her.

Shaking her head, she replied "No, I'll find him. If not, I'll just take it out on him tonight!"

"I think I'll help you beat him when you do." Matt huffed, shaking his head at the pile of armor.

Letting out a long sigh, Astrid turned to Matt and Heather, saying "You two go ahead on your trip, Stormfly and I will go look for the mutton head and his reptile."

Smiling, Matt just nodded, climbing on Wasatch. "Well, if you're sure. We have no problem staying to help you."

"I'm sure. Trust me, I'm sure." She growled, her eyes narrowing as she climbed on Stormfly.

"Hey, hit him in the shoulder once for me." Heather teased, knowing that Hiccup would be lucky if Astrid didn't knock his arm off when she found him.

"Yeah, yeah…" She growled, squaring up on her saddle "Come on girl, let's go find him…"

The two watched her take off and glide to the west, guessing that was where he went. Shaking her head, Heather turned to Matt and said "You need to talk to Hiccup."

"About what? Leaving Astrid? Going on his own?" He asked, strapping himself into the bindings "I already plan on doing that tonight."

"No, about dating her. At least making it official about being a couple!" Heather huffed, shaking her head at the thought "They're perfect for each other!"

"I know, and I've tried to hint it to him; but I guess I'll have to be a little more direct." He huffed, shaking his head at the thought. Looking at Heather with a wide smile, he asked "Ready?"

"Ready." She confirmed, launching into the air and leaving him behind.

Shaking his head, he shouted "Come on boys, let's go!" At that, both Wasatch and Teton launched into the air, quickly catching up to Windshear.

"So…this island. When did you see it?" Heather asked, looking at Matt with a raised eyebrow "I mean, you haven't been on long rides for a while; only to Berk and back really."

"A few months ago. That's all I'm going to say." He replied with a smile "I'll explain everything when we get there, deal?"

"I hate surprises Matt. You know that." She growled, narrowing his eyes at him.

"I know, but I think you'll like this one." He replied with a shrug. Testing his brace, making sure it was working, he carved in the air alongside her as he explained "It really is a few hours away, but shouldn't feel that long."

"I guess we'll see." She huffed, shaking her head. Then, rather slowly, let a smile grow on her face. Watching Matt continue to carve in the air, with Teton following closely behind, she couldn't help but think of how lucky she was that he was still alive. And to have him able to still do what he liked to do. Thinking about what she told Matt to tell Hiccup, she thought about what she's done to help hers and Matt's relationship. Maybe she wasn't the best one to instruct Matt or Hiccup what to do, which she quietly resolved to be better.

"Hey Heather, wanna race?" He asked, a mischievous grin growing on his face.

"Only if you want to lose!" She laughed, getting low on her saddle. At that, she bolted ahead, leaving Matt and his two Skrills.

"Oh hohoho, you're so going down…" He whispered, letting his grin break into a smile. At that, both Wasatch and Teton roared as they chased after the Razorwhip, enjoying the random game.

* * *

"Wow…" Heather gasped, letting Windshear land gently in the cove that Matt pointed out "It's beautiful! Look at that waterfall!"

"I know, isn't it amazing?" He asked, landing next to her. Soaking in the sight of the paradise that seemed to exist, he let his mind go into a flash back. This was it. The place where he woke up three days later after being 'killed' by Strogg. He, by every right and reason, should be dead; but was saved by the stranger and vagabond, Ukiah. Grabbing something in his pocket, he felt the cloth message that he received from a Terrible Terror just a few days ago.

The cove was shaded by multiple trees, with the sunlight streaming through the few holes allowed. The natural canopy was serene, with the sound of the moving water adding to the peaceful feeling. Small birds were darting to and from random trees. It was indeed the definition of a paradise.

"How did you find this place? When did you find this…this piece of Valhalla?" Heather asked, walking over to the edge of the pond, sitting down and letting her feet dangle just above the clear water.

"I woke up here." He answered, waiting to see her reaction.

Heather whirled around, staring at him with wide eyes. "Wait…you…woke up here? Like when…"

"This is where Ukiah took me when he pulled me out of the ocean. After Strogg did what he did to me." Matt whispered, unstrapping himself and dismounting from Wasatch. Walking over to Heather, he sat down next to her "This is where I learned I was alive. Heh, barely."

Heather stared at him, realizing the significance of this place.

"Heh, you know! I had the thought that he wasn't going to make it too." A voice shouted from behind the pouring water, making the two turn to see who it was.

Out from behind the waterfall, emerged Ukiah and Arrow, who promptly jumped in the pond and swam lazily towards them. Ukiah had his crossbow in hand, though he let it hang loosely to the side. Wiping the water from his eyes, he smiled as Heather just gaped at him. He still had his black chainmail shirt, this time though, having a couple of pouches slung around him. His black braided hair was the same as usual, as was his unusually clean cut face. His hazel eyes seemed to shine as he looked at his friends, adding to his bright smile.

"Wha-Ukiah?!" She cried, unsure of how to react "What're you doing here?"

"Meeting Matt, though it seems he decided to bring you along." He replied, looking over at Matt who was just smiling "A pleasant surprise!"

Flashing the cloth message to her, Matt then explained "I got this a few days ago, and thought it'd be good that I brought you along to meet with him, since you weren't able to say bye last time."

"Ukiah!" Heather laughed, jumping up and running to him. Grabbing him in a hug, she explained "I never got a chance to thank you for what you did!"

Blushing that she was hugging him in front of Matt, who was just smiling at the sight, he then excused "Don't thank me for that, it was my fault for what happened to begin with."

"That's not fair to you, and you know it." Heather quickly fired back, letting go of him "Hiccup and Astrid kept you and Strogg a secret from us! We had no way of preparing for what did happen."

"It doesn't matter." Matt chimed in, walking next to Heather. Fist bumping Ukiah, he added "We all made it out in one piece. More or less."

"Speaking of which, how's the eye?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's healed. I can see just fine." He replied with a wide smile. Brushing his hair back to show him that the wound had indeed healed, he explained "Took the few months since you left, but I'm better. Just going to leave a nasty scar."

"I can see that…" Ukiah whispered, touching the scar that ran down his head to his eye "Can't believe you pulled through after that hit. And after basically drowning."

"He wouldn't have if you didn't grab him and patch him up." Heather whispered, wrapping her arm around Matt's waist and pulling herself close to him "Thank you, Ukiah. Not just for his sake, but mine too."

"Not a problem, it's you two I should thank." Ukiah humbly replied "Without you two defending me, Hiccup and Astrid would have sooner banished me again, rather than hear me out."

"Yeah, well, Hiccup doesn't feel the same way as Astrid." Matt began to say "But she's still…tense about talking with you. Her and Stoick."

"Wait, you told Stoick about me?!" Ukiah gasped.

"Of course we did. We were seeing how likely it was about you being able to come back to Berk." Heather cut in "He didn't say no, but he was still a little…sensitive about what you did to Hiccup and Astrid."

Shaking his head, Ukiah whispered "Stoick is the only man I actually fear. I don't think I can get myself to even look at him. I'd need you guys, plus Hiccup to be with me."

"Speaking of…" Matt pointed out. Waving the cloth, he asked "You said you wanted to talk alone, why not invite Hiccup?"

Ukiah's face grew dark, thinking about what he was going to say "Because I don't know if I believe him yet. About him wanting me back."

"Of course he does!" Matt groaned, rolling his eyes at the comment "Don't you realize that he's been one hundred percent honest with you? That he doesn't lie to you about that kind of stuff?"

"It's…complicated." Ukiah whispered, rubbing the back of his head. Turning to see Arrow in the pond, lightly splashing Windshear, with Teton and Wasatch jumping in the pond, he added "I guess I'm still feeling out what they think of me. It's hard to just go back to the people that hated me for a few years."

"Ukiah, I of all people understand what it feels like to be alone; and how hard it is to go back to a home that you betrayed." Heather cut in, stepping up to him "Trust me on that; but believe me when I say that no matter how hard it feels, it's better to have others in your life…"

"I guess so…" Ukiah replied quietly, looking down from Heather's gaze. Shaking his head, he then looked up and said "Enough about me, the reason I wanted to see you, was to give you a warning."

"A warning? What's going on?" Matt asked, alarmed at where the conversation was heading.

"You know I'm looking for Crev, my native island, right?" Ukiah quizzed, looking at Heather.

Both of them nodded, knowing his one reason for not staying at Dragon's Edge.

"Well, I get to see some parts of the world. At least parts of the archipelago." He continued to say "Ran into your Hunter friends a few times." Raising his hand to stop Heather from protesting him, he quickly explained "They didn't know I was on their islands when I ran into them. But you need to know, they're capturing and selling dragons like mad! They're going from island to island and taking every single dragon they can!"

Heather's head snapped towards Matt as she exclaimed "That explains why we haven't seen them for a few months! They're busy with their own campaign!"

"And they've had enough time to build up their fleet and men." Matt added, closing his eyes in anger.

"Plus their ambitions." Ukiah added "That character, Viggo? The one that was apparently working from the shadows? He's been more and more bold and upfront. He's building forts and all kinds of dragon prisons across the archipelago, plus doing his own raiding missions." Gesturing to the cove all around them, he explained "Arrow and I chased all the dragons away from here, keeping it from being scouted by him and his other Hunters."

"So they have no idea about this place?" Matt quizzed, raising an eyebrow at the claim.

"Oh, they know about it. But they won't be looking into it; since there no dragons here." He replied with a small smile "They probably crossed this place off."

Matt just sighed, digesting the information. Of course Viggo and Ryker would have been busy. Months without having the riders attack their ships and free their dragons, they must have twice the army from before.

"They're split up into multiple smaller groups." Ukiah continued to explain, slinging over the backpack that Matt had given him a few months ago. Opening it up, he pulled out a rolled up paper with all kinds of writing on it. What was concerning though, was that it had a Hunter's seal on it.

"Where'd you get that?" Heather asked, staring at Ukiah with concern.

"I liberated it from one of their lieutenants when she was sleeping at one of their camps. She's the only one that has a dragon following her; a glowing one." Ukiah replied, a mischievous grin forming on his face.

"Darien…" Matt whispered, his eyes growing cold and dark.

"How do you know her?" Ukiah asked, surprised at the comment.

Matt closed his eyes in regret, doing his best to keep his composure "She's…here because of me. It's something that I can't really explain right now without telling you how I met Hiccup, which I'd rather tell you in more formal circumstances. But I will say that we know her quite well unfortunately."

Heather gently squeezed Matt, trying to help comfort him. She knew how much he blamed himself for her being there, and wanted to help him as much as possible. She remembered the cold and heartless look he had when he had his hatchet on Darien's throat, something she didn't want to see again.

Nodding in understanding, Ukiah then unrolled the paper, explaining "Well, for a leader, she's pretty careless. Left this on a table in the middle of her camp. Pretty easy to sneak in and take it." Showing it to Matt and Heather, he continued to say "This paper has a list of all the leaders that were given small fleets, plus all the islands they've been using for their operations. Viggo and Ryker kept most of the ships themselves, and are camped in the more secure islands; but the smaller fleets were given to lesser men." Pointing to a name, he then said "Darien, the one you apparently know, is ranked pretty high among them. After tailing her fleet for a bit, it was easy to tell that she's doing personal errands for Viggo and Ryker. Can't tell what exactly, but she's involved with collecting random materials and visiting islands that have villages similar to the Outcasts."

"Probably looking for allies; or places to recruit more men." Matt whispered, studying the paper methodically. Shaking his head, he then joked sarcastically "So much for looking for your island, Crev. Seems like you've only been busy following these guys."

"Well, after a whole month of fruitless searching, I decided to track the guys who would have an idea where it is." Ukiah explained, rolling up the paper and handing it to Heather "Viggo knows these seas better than anyone; even Hiccup. If I'm going to find Crev, my best chance is learning it from the Hunters."

"So…why are you giving this to us?" Heather asked, waving the paper around.

"So you can tell Hiccup and Astrid." He replied with a smile "At least this will be some proof that I'm trying to come back."

"Just come with us!" Heather urged, grabbing his hand. Pulling on it, she then said "Astrid may still have a problem with you, but you shouldn't be alone anymore!"

"Thank you Heather, I appreciate it." He replied, smiling as he pulled his hand out of hers "But I'm going to follow another ship. On the list, his name is Eirik. He's been sailing closer and closer to Dragon's Edge every week, so I'm wanting to figure out why before they decide to hit you guys. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to stop it entirely."

Matt then spoke up, his face darkening. Grabbing Ukiah's arm, he then spoke powerfully as he said "Ukiah, I don't want you doing anything that puts you at risk for our sake. If you need help, I expect you to come get me and Heather. Hiccup will come too, that much I know."

"Thank you Matt, I'll take you up on that if I find out anything that's going to need a team." Ukiah replied with a smile. Resting his crossbow on his shoulder, he then added "But one thing you don't really know about me, is that I am a killer. One that can hold his own. And I plan on showing Viggo what a Crevite can do."

Both Matt and Heather had chills run down their backs. Ukiah, though a friend, was still a stranger in ways they wouldn't get to know without the passing of time.

"Now, enough of that. You guys hungry? Do you like venison?" Ukiah asked, pulling out some meat from his bag "Got a deer earlier this morning."

"Very much so. Didn't even bring something to snack on." Heather answered, pulling a face as she spoke.

Laughing, Ukiah pulled out a small bag of berries, tossing it to her. "Here, that'll keep the wolves away. Matt, help me start a fire, will ya?"

"Heh, you got it." He replied with a smile. Though still a stranger with a dark mystery, Ukiah was by far, still a friend.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Haddocks, One Secret

**Chapter Two: Two Haddock's, One Secret**

* * *

"Well, that was a fun trip!" Matt commented, landing Teton on the hanger's deck. Wasatch was close by, though he went straight into the hanger.

"It was! Glad you showed me where Ukiah helped you." Heather replied, sliding off Windshear. Then in a softer tone, added "I'm also glad we got to see Ukiah. I'm glad he's safe."

"Yeah, he seems to be doing well. Considering what he was doing." Matt called out, taking his saddle off Teton. He usually took turns with the two Skrills on long trips, as they both liked riding with him. Teton was even getting the hang of letting Matt 'board' on him, though Wasatch was still better and more responsive due to time spent with Matt.

"Yeah…" She whispered quietly, obviously thinking about something.

Matt instantly picked up on it, to which he asked "Alright, what's on your mind?"

Sighing, Heather shook her head in frustration "I'm just thinking about him in general. It's not fair that he's the only one that's been doing anything about the Hunters and he can't come here! He's still treated like an outcast!"

"He can come here! Hiccup's made that clear to everyone! Even Ukiah himself!" Matt defended "Ukiah's choosing to stay away. That was the first time he made an effort to come back!"

"Matt, you have no idea…" Heather whispered, shaking her head. Pulling off Windshear's saddle, she explained "When I was alone, I longed for nothing more than to be with someone; to be included." Looking at Matt in the eye, she added "I would never tell or admit that, nor would I have if you asked me directly."

"You're saying that he's longing to be here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I am. Didn't you see all the signs?" She argued "Wanting to meet with us to tell us about the Hunters, when he could have just sent a Terror mail. He could have sent this list of names and leaders that way too! Plus, he cooked us lunch to eat with him! He wants to be part us! He wants in!"

"But he's saying he doesn't want to! What if his priority is finding Crev first? And then finding a home?" Matt quizzed, taking Windshear's saddle from Heather and began to walk inside the hanger "Besides, he'll react worse if we make him stay here against his will! You know exactly what I mean with that!"

"I know…" Heather whispered, looking down at the deck "I just hate seeing someone live like that. It's way too hard on someone's life. No matter how tough or used to it they might be."

"I guess you do know how it feels to be alone." He whispered, back, hanging the two saddles on some racks. Walking back to her, he then had a question come to mind "What made you want to stay then? If you didn't want to be here, or admit it at least, what was the pushing factor?"

"I didn't really have a choice, did I?" She answered "I would have blown whatever trust you guys had in me if I left. Not to mention how you felt about me before! You hated me, remember?"

"Ugh, had bring that up huh?" He groaned, feeling guilty about the fact that there was a point in his life where he hated Heather. Shaking his head, he then asked again "Aside from us making you stay, what was it that made decide to stay with us? Like your personal reason?"

With a wry smile, she blushed as she whispered "You."

"Ah, well, I guess that makes sense." Matt chuckled with a smile. Grabbing Heather by her arms, he looked down at her with a smile "You were the reason why I wanted to stay here too."

"Ah…" She snickered, her arrogant grin forming on her face "Stop it, you're embarrassing me."

"Good!" He laughed as he walked her to the clubhouse "You need to be humbled sometimes!"

Laughing at the joke, Heather just shook her head and whispered "Listen Matt, why don't you tell Hiccup about Ukiah; and what he told us. Maybe feel out where he stands with Ukiah actually living with us; I'm going to try and think of something to convince that vagabond to move here."

"Oh? Why you?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do you think? I can relate to him. I know what he's going through." She quickly replied "I have the best chance to be able to convince him to come here."

Nodding in agreement, Matt took the paper that Ukiah gave her from her pouch "Fine. I'll talk to him tonight. And I'll tell you what he said in the morning."

"Thank you, Matt." Heather whispered, smiling at the thought of giving Ukiah a home "I know he can't go back to Berk, not yet at least; but at least he can stay here with us."

"It's a start, that's for sure." He agreed, walking into the clubhouse. As they walked in, there sitting around the fireplace, was Hiccup, Astrid, and Snotlout; who had a look of content as he watched Hiccup rub his shoulder in agony. Astrid was looking furiously at him, so intensely that she didn't even notice Matt and Heather. "Welp, I can guess what happened here!" He called out, laughing at the hurting Hiccup "Can't say I blame her for hitting you though."

"Ugh, you too?" Hiccup growled, glaring at Matt "Just because I went for a ride by myself, doesn-"

"It wasn't a ride, it was a recon mission!" Astrid interrupted angrily "Hiccup, you lied and left me! And Toothless didn't wear his armor! What were you thinking?! Anything could have happened while you were out there!"

Hiccup fidgeted nervously, his eyes darting away from Astrid's. Trying to play off the accusation, he quickly excused "Hey, him not wearing his armor was all his fault! I tried to make him wear it! Besides, I didn't see anything! I was fine being alone!" He replied, only to be cut off by Matt.

"Yeah, said the guy who wanted to have the doubles rule when Astrid went missing on her morning flight." He retorted, obviously siding with Astrid on that argument "Remember the entire reason why we created that rule in the first place? If it was just a 'ride' then we wouldn't have cared! But this was a mission in trying to find the Hunters! You need backup!"

Throwing his hands up in the air, Hiccup gave in to the onslaught of reasons and criticisms "Fine! I'll never go on a patrol alone again! I promise!"

Still frowning at him, Astrid just shook her head. Turning to Matt and Heather, she then asked "So how was your day? Find anything?"

Heather turned to Matt, unsure of what to say. They didn't want to keep Ukiah a secret, but knew it was still a sensitive subject to talk about.

"Yeah, checked out an island and found a paradise. Didn't see any dragons or Hunters." Matt explained with a shrug "Nothing out of the ordinary; though there is something I want to talk to you about Hiccup."

Grateful for an opportunity to get away from Astrid's wrath, he instantly stood up and basically ran out of the clubhouse, grabbing and dragging Matt with him. "Really? Well let's go talk about it! Come on, we'll go to the beach to talk!" He shouted, not even turning to see Astrid's reaction.

"Hiccup!" She shouted, about to chase after him, but was stopped by Heather.

"Matt will talk to him about it. Plus, he promised that he wouldn't go alone again." She consoled, smiling at Astrid's fuming face.

Sighing, Astrid shook her head as she admitted "What am I going to do with him?"

"Yeah, he's a handful, isn't he?" Snotlout quickly spoke up, walking up to Astrid "Sometimes I wish he was just as careful as me. Right, Heather?"

"Did he really just say that?" Heather asked, looking at Snotlout in surprise.

"Yeah, but I think he forgot to be careful around me!" Astrid growled, reaching and grabbing her axe that was leaning against the wall.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait!" Snotlout cried out, seeing Astrid begin to walk towards him.

"Heh! I might help!" Heather grinned mischievously, cracking her knuckles as she walked alongside Astrid.

"Agh! What?!" Snotlout shouted, turning around and sprinting out of the clubhouse "You weren't this mean to Hiccup!"

Laughing, Astrid and Heather watched Snotlout disappear, leaving them alone in the clubhouse. Turning to Heather, Astrid then said "Thanks. He was annoying when I was trying to talk to Hiccup."

Laughing, Heather just smiled at her, saying "Not a problem! Doing that will keep him away from me the rest of the night and most of tomorrow."

"Snotlout? Probably not." Astrid huffed, shaking her head at the annoyance that plagued her most of her life. Finally turning and smiling at her friend, Astrid then asked "So, are you hungry?"

"Ugh, yeah!" She admitted, looking down at her stomach "Had lunch and that was it!"

"Come on, let's see if we can find something for you." Astrid replied with smile, turning and guiding her back into the clubhouse.

"Thanks…" She huffed, grateful to be getting something to eat. Honestly though, the only thing on her mind was how Matt's and Hiccup's talk was going.

* * *

"Wooh…thanks for helping me get out of there." Hiccup grunted, flopping himself onto the beach at the bay. In one motion, he grabbed and pulled off his prosthetic leg, waving it at Matt "I feel so beat up, that even this feels like it needs to recover!"

"Heh, welcome to my life." Matt joked, sitting next to Hiccup. Disengaging the brace on his leg, he let the old familiar pain begin to throb in his thigh.

"How's the leg?" Hiccup asked, seeing him relish in sitting down.

"Tired. That's all." He grunted, flopping his back on the sand and looking up into the stars above "Nothing new. The brace still helps me run and board as if nothing was wrong with it."

"That's good. I'm glad we got something worked out for that." Hiccup smiled, also looking up at the stars.

"Changed my life!" Matt added, looking down at the Gronckle Iron pieces that made up the mechanical marvel. How Hiccup was able to think of things like that, was a wonder to him.

"So! You have my undivided attention." Hiccup began to say, smiling at Matt "What'd you want to talk about?"

Sitting up, Matt let out a huff of nervousness "Oooookay…how do I say this. Without you getting mad or worked up."

Hiccup's smiling demeanor quickly disappeared. "What happened?" He asked, not expecting it to be a serious conversation.

Sighing, Matt pulled out the cloth message that seemed to be burning in his pocket. "Hiccup…Ukiah sent this to me a couple of days ago. Saying he wanted to talk."

"That's where you and Heather went?!" Hiccup shouted, snatching the cloth and reading the message.

"That's why I brought her to begin with." He excused "Just to be safe." Looking back up at the stars, he explained "Listen, Ukiah was warning us about the Hunters; and what Viggo's been doing since he disappeared."

Hiccup's head snapped up at the word warning. "What did he say? What did he learn?!"

Handing Hiccup the rolled up paper with the Hunter's seal on it, he began to say "Viggo's been busy. Collecting and selling dragons everywhere he goes. He's built up his fleet and expanded his operations."

"What?" Hiccup gasped, taking the paper and reading the names "I thought Ukiah was looking for Crev? What's he doing scouting the Hunters?"

"He was, but his searching led him to the Hunters. Besides, he thinks his best chance of finding Crev is to learn what the Hunter's know." Tapping the paper, he explained "Those are the names of people in charge; or have some kind of leadership position. Including some of the islands that are key to their operations. Viggo's also been getting bolder. Sending his men closer and closer to us, with Darien running all kinds of errands." Tapping the paper in Hiccup's hands a second time, he then urged "Hiccup, we need Ukiah! He's been infiltrating the Hunter's camps and getting some amazing information!"

Hiccup just nodded, staring at the names. Especially one name. Eirik.

"Heather's going to try and convince him to come back. I'm just letting you know what actually happened, and I didn't want Astrid to…well freak out." Matt began to explain.

Sighing, Hiccup shook his head, whispering "I…I need to tell you something too, Matt. Something you can't tell anyone. Promise?"

Shocked at the turn of the conversation, Matt just nodded, unsure of what to think.

"My offer still stands with Ukiah. He can come here if he wants. He's welcome here." Hiccup began to say "But…something did happen to me today. Something that made me question everything."

"What happened? Tell me nothing serious…" Matt growled, not liking what he was hearing.

"Toothless and I were shot down today. We found a Hunter's ship that looked like it was wrecked, which turned out to be a trap. Toothless got hit with one of their arrows, and we crashed on an island." Hiccup began to say, only to be cut off by Matt.

"What?! How?!" He cried out in both anger and surprise "A dragon root arrow takes a few hours to recover! How were you able to fly away? How were you not caught?!"

Hiccup didn't say anything at first. He just stared at the ground "I…I had some help." He whispered "He helped me defend Toothless and hide him. Even helped me create an antidote for the dragon root poison. Heh, even saved me when I was captured. I was about to be branded and taken away, but he rode Toothless and saved me."

"You were captured? How di- Who helped you?!" Matt cried, staring at him with wide eyes at the story.

"Dagur." He choked out, looking at Matt to watch his reaction.

"Dagur?! Like, Dagur the Deranged?!" Matt roared, his eyes vivid with anger and shock "Heather's brother? The one that wouldn't stop trying to kill you? Me? Everyone?!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Hiccup hissed, putting his finger to quiet Matt "Trust me, I still don't know what to think about it. But…" Pointing to Eirik's name, he explained "This was the guy that got me. Eirik. If Dagur wasn't on that island, this was the man that would have taken me and Toothless to Viggo."

Matt glanced at the name, remembering that Ukiah was going to trail his fleet. "Hiccup, Ukiah warned me about this guy. He said he was getting closer to us. Which is why you probably found him close by."

"Then Ukiah really is on our side…" Hiccup whispered, his face growing solemn as he thought about it.

"Let's not change the subject! What this of Dagur?! Why'd he help you?" Matt asked, staring intently at Hiccup "Is he holding over your head to help him in someway?"

"Viggo, Ryker, and even Darien betrayed him. Basically refused to use him and made him a basic grunt." Shaking his head, he whispered "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it." Then sheepishly, he quietly added "He's looking for Heather. He wants her back in his life."

"He tried to kill her!" Matt shouted, his eyes bulging in anger "He almost succeeded too! He ran that sword through her shoulder when she was defending me and Wasatch! Now he wants to try and be a brother to her?!"

"It's messed up, I know." Hiccup replied "But that's why I want you stay quiet about it. I'll tell everyone when I feel it's a good time. And when I get an idea on how to tell everyone."

"Heather's not going to like it when she learns we're keeping this a secret, but for your sake, my lips are sealed." He promised, looking at the rolling waves crashing on the beach. This was something huge to think about.

"Listen, if you and Heather can get Ukiah to stay here, I'm ok with it. Astrid will too. Don't let her stop you and Heather from trying to get him here." Hiccup began to say, putting his prosthetic back on and rolling to his feet "She's just going to be distant."

"I'll let Heather know what you said. She really feels bad for him." Matt groaned, also rolling to his feet "You know, since she came from a similar situation."

"Makes sense…" Hiccup admitted. Throwing his arm around Matt, he walked with his friend and descendant; though he was more like a brother. "Come on, I'll go with you to tell Heather that she can invite him. That way it's not a secret from Astrid either."

"Like the one I'm keeping from Heather?" Matt teased, limping with Hiccup. His leg was still bugging him, given that he started to depend on the brace for everything in regards to running, riding, and boarding.

"That one just needs time for me to digest." Hiccup replied, shaking his head at the thought "Though I promise, I'll never go on a recon mission alone again. That much I can promise you."

"And Astrid." Matt laughed "Which reminds me, I need to talk to you about another thing. But that can wait; seeing that we dropped some pretty big bombs tonight!"

"Ugh, thanks." Hiccup groaned, shaking his head "Been a long day…"

"Heh, sounds like it." Matt smiled, limping up the ramp to the clubhouse "Come on, let's tell Heather and Astrid about Ukiah. Plus, I'm starving."

* * *

"Viggo?" Darien called quietly, cracking open the door to his room.

"Darien! Come, come!" He called out, smiling at seeing his chief lieutenant "I trust the trip was uneventful?"

"Mine? As smooth as you can get." She replied, walking in. Her face was serious, which quickly changed Viggo's attitude. Something happened.

Gesturing for her to take a cup of mead, he asked "I have a feeling you have different news for me though…"

"I moved the two Catastrophic Quaken's to your marble quarry, as instructed." She began to say, grabbing the cup. The candle light then revealed her left hand with a missing ring finger, and a terribly scarred hand. The price she paid to bond with her dragon, a Flightmare. "Banshee was incredible help with them. Kept them paralyzed when they tried to break out of their cells or chains."

"Good to hear." Viggo acknowledged, waiting for the rest of the news.

"But…when I went to rendezvous with Eirik to receive his shipment, I found what was left of his crew stranded on an island." She continued to say, taking a long swallow of the drink "Believe it or not, he had Hiccup Haddock. Tied up and almost on board. And was searching for that Night Fury, Toothless."

"But his friends came and saved him…" Viggo finished, shaking his head in frustration at the potential victory he would have had.

"I thought so too, but it wasn't. It was Dagur." She whispered, eyeing him warily.

Viggo just stared at her, his face turning into a scowl "Ah, of course…"

"From what the crew told me, he saved Hiccup by riding Toothless. He then took the ship and who knows where he is…" She continued to say "Eirik was killed by a Changewing after being chased away."

"Good. His failure would have resulted in a similar ending here." Viggo growled, standing up from his seat. Walking to a map hanging on a wall with his hands behind his back, he then asked "All dragons he had are lost, I'm assuming?"

"Yes. Dagur may have taken them to sell for his own gain; that, or he actually let them go out of spite." She suggested, finishing her drink. Standing up, she then walked up to Viggo, asking "What do you need me to do? Go find Dagur? Get an extra shipment of dragons to make up the loss?"

"Thank you for your willingness, Darien." Viggo replied, not taking his eyes off the map "But no…your ancestor will fall by my hand one way or another. For you, I have a special task for you."

"Oh? I'm excited to hear this." She commented, looking at him with a surprised expression.

"I bet you are, but probably not what you're expecting." Viggo chuckled, smiling at her "Ryker and I are busy searching for a Buffalord. A dragon considered extinct. However, I need you to do something for me while I'm away. While we're busy searching for this special dragon, I need you to take the new dragon you captured to Ivar. And talk to him about the deal Ryker set up. But before you go, I need to tell you about a new, potential client. One that has plenty of money."

"Wait, the Triple Stryke? We're giving Ivar that rare beast for free?" She quizzed, puzzling over instructions.

"No. Not for free. For a fee. He'll use it in his fighting pit, and we get a cut of the earnings." Viggo explained "The Triple Stryke is sure to win, and will gain us plenty of gold."

"Ah, an investment…" Darien summed up, nodding in agreement "Sure! I'll take my ships first thing in the morning; but what is this other client you're talking about?"

"He involves someone we've dealt with before." Viggo added, turning to face Darien with a smile. Grabbing a folded paper, he handed it to her, saying "I'm sure you'll recognize the name."

Taking the paper, she quickly opened it up and found it was a letter. Staring at the writing, she struggled to make out some of the words. Since she joined up with the Hunters, Viggo took the time and money to have someone teach her how to read, which she was benefiting greatly from it.

Mumbling to herself, she whispered out loud "…and he interested in information that you may have. Nothing like Strogg demanded, rather just a tip or hint. He's also willing to purchase some of your dragons for his arena…please reply with your answer. It'll take a month and a week to sail to you. Sincerely, Ugo." Looking up at Viggo in shock, she cried out "I thought we were done with those maniacs?! What's going on?!"

"Ugo is acting as an envoy for someone else. The new Chief of Thariin that took over Strogg's place." Viggo replied with a calming smile "We're not working with them, other than them being a potential client for our dragons."

"But Strogg's dead! Why does Ugo care?" She asked, staring at him with a fire in her eyes "Ugo's smarter than that to get himself tied down to another idiotic leader!"

"Well, their leader is bent on revenge, like Strogg." Viggo admitted, leaning forward and taking the letter "And I agree with you about Ugo. He's a thinker, not like his former leader." Scanning the letter, he quietly explained "My thinking is that Ugo has his reasons to serve another. Either because that's the only thing he's ever known, or he truly respects and fears this new leader."

"So why are we wanting them as clients? They were arrogant and frankly terrible human beings!" She argued "Mind you, I know I'm not a good example of that myself, but that's saying something!"

"Because it's Thariin." Viggo replied "Thariin has a lot of value. And Demand. If we can secure our own claim there, we'll be raking in the gold, gems, and treasures. Plus, have an entire army backing us. We'll be unstoppable." Standing up, he then explained "I agreed to meet with their leader, named Zekir. Zekir the Black Heart. He's apparently very upset about Strogg's death, though I'm sure I'll find out why when I meet with him in two months. That's when I said I'd be ready to meet with him."

"Wait…that's during your planned dragon auction, isn't it?" Darien whispered, seeing the reason as to why he was meeting him later.

"Indeed." He replied, a smile growing on his face.

"Always trying to maximize profits, huh?" She commented, shaking her head at the timing. Letting a smile grow, she then looked up at him and joked "You never know when to coast huh?"

"If I 'coasted', as you say, we'd be in the same position as Hiccup and his friends." Viggo answered, smiling down at her from where he was standing. He then smiled as he instructed "Darien, take the Triple Stryke to Ivar. Then I'll have another task for you when you're done with that. I just wanted you to know about the potential client we'll be hosting."

"Thank you for telling me. If there is anything you need me to do to help sell the deal with this Zekir guy, let me know." Darien replied, standing up and stretching her arms "I'm going to hit the sack. I'll leave in the morning with the Triple Stryke. Shouldn't take me long to deliver it to him."

"Thank you Darien. And I'll let you know if I do need something special done." Viggo commented with a relieved smile. Though quite different than most Vikings, Darien was proving to be quite his go-to-girl, tailing not far behind Ryker. "Go rest the night, and then leave to Ivar in the morning. I'll have your ship loaded with the Triple Stryke, so don't worry about that."

"Sounds good." Darien yawned as she turned to walk out "G'night, Viggo. Don't stay up too late. You can rest easy knowing I'll get what you need done."

Viggo just smiled, watching her leave the room and into a blue lit hallway, showing that Banshee was waiting for her outside the doorway. Turning to the map, he stared right at where Hiccup's Island was. Dragon's Edge. "Play time's over Hiccup. I hope you're ready for our own Maces and Talon's game…" Looking down at his personal board of the game, with the missing traitor piece he gave Hiccup, he smiled as he quietly added "I hope you remember the bit of advice I gave you…about the traitor's fate…"

* * *

 _ **Well, hope you enjoyed it! I really had fun writing and correcting this one. Hope you guys like where I've gone with it, and hope you enjoy where it ends up going. Thanks for the support!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	3. Chapter 3: Astrid's Demise

**Chapter Three: Astrid's Demise**

* * *

"Good! Good!" Matt shouted, sliding his board right next to Heather "You're doing great!" Watching her slide along the snow on her board, he smiled as she flung her arms around to try and balance herself. Their dragons were slowly gliding alongside, watching the two ride down the hillside.

After what he considered to be too long, Matt finally made her go snowboarding with him to try and learn; given that they have a mountain with snow on it year round. "Keep your tip up and dig your toes into the snow. That'll let you carve to the right!" He instructed, sliding past her to jump onto an angled tree. Grinding the tree, he then did a simple 180 rotation before landing right next to her.

Heather flung her arms like a windmill, still trying to keep her balance as she did so "Ah! How do you stay up- Whoa! Agh!" Falling to far forward, she face planted into the snow and slid another five feet. Feeling the ice cold creep down her tunic and chill her already cold body, she struggled to roll over with the snowboard strapped to her feet.

"Close, you just leaned forward. You didn't dig your toes in at all." Matt called out, stopping right next to her. Falling to his knees, he helped her roll over and sit up "Vast improvement from earlier today though!"

"Ugh, I think I'm done…" She growled, shivering as she tried to shake the snow out of her shirt; at least that which hadn't already melted.

"Really? We haven't even made it half way yet!" He cried, looking down the mountain side he selected for her to learn on.

"I'm sure. We've been up here for a couple of hours and you have your snowboard gear, while I just have these!" She grunted, flashing her leather hide gloves "I'm freezing! I didn't think I could get this cold in the summer!"

"Late summer. It's starting to turn fall. Besides! Aren't you acclimatized to this?" Matt corrected, smiling as he began to unstrap her from the board.

"I'm used to being in the cold, but not rolling around in the snow all the time!" She huffed, standing up and holding herself to try and warm up. Turning around, she looked up to see Windshear and the two Skrills circling overhead "Come on girl! Let's go get warm!"

Matt unstrapped himself from his board as well. Grabbing both boards, he then watched their dragons land next to them. Wasatch walked up to Matt, planting his face in his chest and shocking him. "Gah! Thanks bud, that sure helped warm me up." He huffed, scratching the Skrill's head vigorously. Walking alongside, he mounted the snowboards on a special saddle that Hiccup made for him, letting one of the two Skrill's be able to carry the board or boards, while Matt rode on the other one. "Thanks bud. We'll have to go wakeboarding later today, just the two of us."

At that, Teton then landed next to him with a thud. Ignoring Matt, the massive Skrill simply sniffed the boards that were strapped to Wasatch, still getting used to Matt and his way of boarding, and riding on dragons.

"Next time it's your turn to carry the boards." Matt smiled, climbing on Teton. Strapping himself into the bindings, he simply smiled at Heather, who was already on Windshear and ready to go "Alright, let's go."

"Thank you!" She huffed, still shivering as they took off.

Matt was right behind her, with Wasatch flying alongside. Seeing her hold herself to try and warm back up, he quickly guided Teton next to Windshear. Making her turn to look at him, he then unzipped his black and green snowboard coat and handed it to her with a sheepish smile "Here, sorry about not preparing you for the snow. I figured you'd be ok."

Surprised at the gesture, she also smiled as she took it and quickly put it on. "Thank you Matt. I might forgive you now."

"Ah, of course." Matt groaned, pulling away from Windshear "I forgot who I was dealing with."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" She cried, glaring at him with a confused expression.

A mischievous grin grew on Matt's face as they continued to fly towards Dragon's Edge. "Oh nothing; just the same hard headed, stubbornness that I've grown so used to."

"Matt!" She yelled, glaring at him.

"I'm teasing! I hope you do forgive me!" He joked, winking at her "But in all seriousness, you really were starting to get the hang of it! I bet next time you'll be able to board all the way down without crashing!"

"That's getting a little ahead of ourselves, don't you think?" She huffed, rolling her eyes at the comment.

"No. I don't." He quickly replied, letting a smile grow on his face. Looking ahead, seeing Dragon's Edge get closer and closer, he then asked "Did you send an invite to Ukiah?"

Looking at Matt with a somewhat surprised expression, she nodded while saying "I did. I send a letter this morning. I hope he feels welcome."

"It's going to be awkward with Astrid. We all know that; he knows that." Matt replied, looking at her with a worried expression "I mean, to him, they hated him for years. Even if they want him back now, they have years of…distaste to overcome."

Heather just glared at Matt, knowing he was telling the truth but not liking it. "I know that Matt! But you didn't want me here when I tried to come back!"

"I was wrong! I know! And I'm not saying he shouldn't come, or that Astrid's right." Matt quickly defended, knowing she was a little sensitive to Ukiah's situation; given that it was almost exactly hers "I'm just saying that he probably won't come unless he has a reason to. Like you. The only reason why you came back to us, was to give back the Dragon Eye…"

"I know, I just…" Heather began to say, only to shake her head in frustration. Unable to finish her thoughts, she just looked ahead with an angry glare.

Seeing that she was frustrated with the situation in general, Matt sighed and flew closer to her again. Getting her attention, he tried to ignore the dagger like stare. "Listen, how about we finish this date off by packing a lunch and leave to get Ukiah. We'll personally go get him. You and me."

Heather's angry face quickly disappeared, turning into shock and amazement. "Wait, you mean that?"

"Of course I do!" He cried out, rolling his eyes "I don't say anything just to say it. Let's pack a lunch, er, dinner I guess, and head out to his island. We'll get there in the evening, and we can camp there while we convince him to come. Well, when you convince him to come; because I know your more stubborn than an ornery Thunderdrum when you have your mind set on something! You make it happen!" Flashing a wide, reassuring smile, he asked "So, what say you? Wanna go?"

"I'd love too!" She laughed, smiling at the sudden decision "Thank you, Matt!"

"Come on, I'll go put the snowboards away and you can go get the supplies, deal?" He asked, smiling at the fact that he was able to make her smile.

"Deal! See you in a bit!" She laughed, letting Windshear dive straight towards the clubhouse. Completely forgetting the cold, she jumped off Windshear before she finished landing.

"Whoa! Heather!" Hiccup called out, shocked at seeing her rather speedy arrival "Are you alright?"

"I am! Just excited!" She replied excitedly, sliding out of Matt's coat and hanging it on one of the walls. Jogging to where they stored their food, she then asked "Hey, you mind if Matt and I take a few supplies? We're going to be gone tonight."

"Where are you two going?" Fishlegs asked, holding some kind glasses with orange lens.

"We're going to personally invite Ukiah over. Well actually, I'm going to make him come." She answered, stuffing a bag with dried fish and bread "Interesting object you have Fishlegs, what is it? They look like Matt's goggles."

"Uh, I made it actually!" Hiccup cut in, taking the glasses and smiling proudly at them "Inspired by Matt's goggles actually. The lens are made of Deathsong amber, hammered so thin you can stare right into a Flightmare's eyes!"

"Might be useful, given we know who's riding one…" Heather whispered, thinking of Darien.

Realizing the memories he opened up, he then changed the subject and asked "So, Ukiah huh? Already jumping on getting him over here? You do know he will probably come on his own."

"No, he won't." She fired back, scanning the supplies for anything else they would want "If he's anything like me, he won't come unless he absolutely has too. He thinks he needs a reason."

Hiccup just looked at her with a worried look, saying "If you're sure. How do you know you'll be able to make him come?"

Freezing in place, Heather slowly turned around to stare at him and Fishlegs. "By relating to him." She whispered, her eyes misting "I was in the exact situation as him. Worse actually, because I never helped you guys before!" Whirling around and securing the bag, she then said resolutely "I know how he's feeling. He's longing for a place to belong to. To not only to be needed, but to be wanted."

Hiccup let out a sigh, knowing Heather was right about it. Turning around to ask Fishlegs something, his attention was diverted as he saw something that made him silently gasp. It was Astrid, and she was looking nervous, almost scared. "Astrid, are you alright?" He asked, drawing everyone's attention.

She didn't say anything. Holding her arm, she just looked at him with sorrowful eyes.

"What's wrong? Did you see something on your joy ride?" He asked, his heart skipping a beat as he thought of the possibilities of what happened.

Looking at him square in the eyes, she very shallowly nodded.

"Hunters? Trapped dragons? Viggo?" Fishlegs began to list, concerned at the conversation.

Heather stopped packing for the trip and just stared at her. Whatever happened, it was serious.

"Oh! I love this game!" Tuffnut shouted, looking at everyone excitedly "Everyone be quiet! It's my turn!" Looking at Astrid with intensity, he asked "Astrid, is what you found bigger than a yak box?"

"Ugh, Tuffnut!" Heather growled, walking up to him "Will you shut up for a second and let her tell us?"

"No! That's not part of the game!" He cried out "I have to guess!"

"It's not a game!" She shot back with heat in her voice.

Astrid simply walked past the two arguing, still holding her arm and looking down from everyone's gaze. "I found a fishing boat…" She whispered, turning and leaning against the central fire pit, as was her standard place to relax.

"I was supposed to guess!" Tuffnut whined, whirling around and staring at Astrid "Doesn't anyone know how to pla-mmph!"

Heather slapped her hand over his mouth, glaring at him as she signaled for him to be quiet.

"Fine. I'll let it slide." He huffed, pulling away from her "But for the record, a fishing boat is definitely bigger than a yak box; I'll count that as a win for 'ol Tuffnut…"

Everyone rolled their eyes, as they focused on Astrid, who began to say "It was just drifting out there. We went to take a closer look, but what we found inside was…" Her voice trailed off.

"Was what?" Matt's voice called out, making everyone turn to see him walk in the club house "Saw that everyone was gathering, wanted to see…what was…going…on…" He said aloud, only to go quiet after seeing Astrid's scared face and everyone's solemn expressions. "Ok, what happened?" He asked, looking at Hiccup with a concerned and confused look.

"She's just telling us! She found a fishing boat!" Heather growled, tired of the interruptions. Turning to Astrid, she then said "What did you find in it?"

Looking at everyone with sadness, Astrid whispered "Bodies…the skin was all pale and green! We got out of there as fast as we could…"

"Any survivors?" Matt asked, looking at her with a concerned and hopeful look.

"One." Was the simple reply.

"Then we need to go back there and help them! Everyone, mount up-" Hiccup began to say.

"Hiccup!" Astrid interrupted, looking away from him "It's too late…"

"Um…Hiccup?" Fishlegs stammered, looking at Hiccup with a wide eyes and a worried expression "I hate to be the harbinger of doom, but…pale, green skin?"

"I know what you're thinking Fishlegs, but-" Hiccup tried to stop him from talking, but failed.

"The Scourge of Odin." Fishlegs whispered, his eyes widening with fear.

"Ooohh, oh ok! Let's not just throw that word around too loosely, because-" Hiccup tried to contain, only to be interrupted again by Snotlout.

"Wait, back up." He cried out, his face suddenly stricken with terror "Did he just say, The Scourge of Odin?!"

"Right, there's no need to panic!" Hiccup desperately tried to calm down.

"Hold up!" Matt shouted, drawing everyone's attention. Pointing to himself, he then said "Snowboarder from Utah here, not a Viking by lifestyle or from birth! You gotta clue me in on new stuff like this."

"Matt…The Scourge of Odin is a plague that ripped through the archipelago centuries ago." Heather began to explain, also looking with fear on her face "Wiped out whole Viking villages! Within days!"

"Whoa, a plague?" Matt asked, looking at Hiccup with worry "That's something even I'm not prepared for."

"Ah! Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted, running around the club house "I need a mask to cover my mouth!"

"We must burn our clothes!" Ruffnut shouted, looking excited at the idea.

"No, no, no, no. We eat this!" Tuffnut shouted, holding up a piece of moldy bread.

"Hold up! Everyone hold on!" Hiccup shouted, frustrated that he couldn't regain control "Let's not jump to conclusions by setting ourselves on fire, eating…that! And hyperventilating."

Everyone just watched Snotlout continue to run around the room, looking for something to breathe through. "Too late. Seems you already lost Snotlout." Matt teased, smirking at the terrified Viking.

"Snotlout! You can't catch the Scourge by breathing!" Fishlegs informed with an annoyed tone "Only by contact! Like a scratch!"

"Plus there hasn't been a case of the Scourge for centuries! And Astrid got out of there right away." Hiccup reaffirmed, walking up to Astrid who was still looking down and folding her arms. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, resting his hand on her shoulder.

Astrid tensed up, to the point both Matt and Heather noticed it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Really!" She answered, letting a small smile grow on her face. Brushing off his hand, she then said "Just…thinking of what I saw. There were men and women on that boat."

"Well, take it easy, ok?" Hiccup ordered, turning to look at Matt and Heather "Hey, I know you two were going to go get-" Freezing, he silently glanced at Astrid, who was still staring down at the floor. He almost slipped with Ukiah, though he knew he should treat it as a secret. Shaking his head, he then continued to say "Listen, I know you really wanted to go on your trip, and I'm honestly not too worried about this, Scourge of Odin thing; but for the sake of safety, no one's leaving the island for at least two days. Got it?"

Heather looked devastated, and was about to argue with him when Matt stopped her.

"He's right Heather. Just for our sakes, let's stay for a little bit." He consoled, looking at her with a comforting smile "Ukiah will get your message, and will come. If not, then we'll go pick him up in two days."

Hiccup whirled around, watching for Astrid's reaction about Matt and Heather bringing Ukiah to the Edge. Oddly, nothing happened. She just continued to stare at the ground and hold herself. Confused, Hiccup then turned and suggested to Heather "You can write him about the potential of the Scourge of Odin. Maybe he'll see some sense and come with that reason."

Heather just nodded, looking disappointed at the delay of getting the vagabond to come stay with them.

"Come on, we'll write it together." Matt suggested, guiding her to his room.

Since Heather was now officially part of the riders, Hiccup wanted to build her a room above the club house. Matt, not wanting to be across the Edge from her, plus not wanting to work as hard in building a new building, suggested they broke his room up by building a loft with two smaller rooms atop it, allowing their dragons to stay inside if they wanted to.

"Why didn't you want go? I thought you wanted to!" She asked, looking at him with confusion and anger.

"Because it's a real concern. If there is a plague, let's not go and potentially get exposed to it. Let's let Ukiah come to us instead." He excused. Thinking about what he said, he then laughed sarcastically "Huh, when I say it like that, it doesn't sound much better."

"Not like it'll matter. He's going to ignore my letter from this morning!" Heather huffed angrily and glaring at him.

"Not if you write him again and tell him we need him to come here ASAP!" Matt grinned mischievously.

"ASAP? What's that mean?" She quizzed, confused at the saying.

"Ah, right. I forgot." He laughed "It means, As Soon As Possible. It's an acronym."

"Oh, makes sense." She replied, nodding in understanding. Then, with a wide smile, added "Matt, you're a sly one, you know that?"

"I try." He acknowledged with a shrug "It's the only way I can stay ahead of you!"

"Ugh, really?" Heather growled, shaking her head "Why do you always throw in that little…jab, with everything you say?!"

"Because it's who I am." He replied simply, trying his hardest to hold his smug expression without breaking into a smile.

Wham! Heather punched him in the stomach as she said "Fine! I guess I'll stay as who I am too!"

"Ugh! I forgot you hit just as hard as Astrid!" He groaned, surprised at the force of the hit.

"Speaking of Astrid." Heather began to say, opening the door and walking into their room "Did she seem, I don't know, off?"

"Well, given what she saw. I'd say that's pretty understandable." Matt suggested, still recovering from the punch as he followed her in.

"I don't know about that." She began to say, walking over to her desk. Grabbing a piece of paper and a stick with a charcoal end, she began to write a second letter to Ukiah "She's seen bodies before. She's sunk ships, killed Hunters, watched herself bleed after a fight; she just seemed shaken for some reason."

"You know, now that you mention it." Matt began to say, double checking his snowboard gear to make sure he put it all away in an orderly fashion. Pulling out his duffle bag that his dad gifted to him, he then pointed out "She did seem a little tense when we were talking about the Scourge of...whatever God's name it is. Thor?"

"Odin." Heather answered, turning to smile at him "You really need to brush up on your Viking history and culture."

"Eh, studying was never a strong suit for me. Half the reason I can't read your writing as well. And also the entire reason I came here in the first place." He shrugged, pulling out his goggles. Looking down at them, he then took out a cloth and began to clean them, since he now had time to do so. "I guess I'll get better at it as time goes on."

"I guess so." Heather whispered, continuing writing. After a few moments of silence, she then asked aloud "How does this sound? Ukiah, get over to the Edge now! We need to talk to you! It's urgent!"

"Eh, sure. Gets the point across and is short enough to make it believable that something is wrong." Matt replied, agreeing with the letter "Short, sweet, and to the point."

"Good. I'll send it now." Heather whispered, folding the paper and standing up to run to the hanger "I'll be back in a second."

"No worries, I'll be right here." He called out, taking a seat at his desk and continuing to clean his goggles.

* * *

"Matt! Heather!" Hiccup shouted, running into their room.

"Ugh, Hiccup?" Matt groaned groggily, trying to get out of his covers "Wha…what's going on?"

"Come quick! It's Astrid! Something's wrong!" He shouted, turning and running out of the room.

Matt instantly woke up, his blood running cold with the sudden event. Grabbing his boots, he slid them on as he bolted out of his door.

"What's going on?!" Heather asked loudly, running out of her room too "Did I just hear Hiccup?!"

"Yeah! Somethings up with Astrid!" Matt shouted, running off the loft floor and leaping down. Landing roughly on his leg, he knew he tweaked it good. "Gah! Damn. just what I needed right now!" He grunted, limping as he ran out the door and towards Astrid's room.

"Matt! Where's your brace?" Heather asked, doing the same thing as him, though she rolled with her landing.

"Left it! Didn't even think about it!" He grunted, not stopping or slowing down. The pain seemed to add to the stress of situation, making him run harder and faster; regardless of the pain.

Rushing through Astrid's doorway, the two gasped as they saw her sitting on the side of her bed, coughing wildly. Her shoulder guards were taken off, being a sign to them that something was wrong. She was never without them when she was awake. Her skin was white, with a hint of green showing.

"Matt? Heather?" She whispered, looking up at them weakly "Don't tell me-Ack! Uh…don't tell me Hiccup got you guys up too…"

"Astrid, what's going on?" Heather gasped, slowly walking up to her.

"Just…a little…sick. Probably from eating the twin's dinner." She replied, forcing a fake and tired smile.

"I sent Snotlout to get Gothi's notes. He should be coming with them early in the morning." Fishlegs' voice called out, making the three turn to see him and Hiccup run in.

"Ugh…why are you guys worrying about me? Just let me sleep…" Astrid groaned, letting her body fall down flat on her bed.

Heather was the first to rush to her. Lifting her legs, she then made Astrid lay down after she tried to sit back up. "No, stay down Astrid." She ordered, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. "Uh, you're chilled." She grunted, grabbing an extra blanket and laying it over her.

"What do you need?" Matt asked, walking up to Heather.

"I need you to heat up some stones for me to place them under her bed. Not hot, just warm them in a fire." Heather instructed, rolling another blanket to place under Astrid's head "They'll help keep her warm until we can actually work on something to help her."

"Ugh, just let me rest!" Astrid moaned angrily, trying to sound threatening "I'm fine gu-" Her ranting was interrupted by her torrential hacking, making Heather look down at her with an angry stare

"Shut up and don't move any more than you need too!" Heather growled, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to her.

Matt turned to let both Fishlegs and Hiccup run to her, which he promptly stepped out of the way.

"I'll make sure it's the Scourge of Odin." Fishlegs chimed in, flipping through a book for notes and standing next to Heather "If it isn't, then we'll not worry so much about it."

"I guess you can help me get some stones." Matt added, trying to guide Hiccup out from the door.

Hiccup didn't want to leave her, as he resisted Matt's hand. Looking at him, he whispered "I think I'll stay here. Just to make sure."

Matt looked at Hiccup with a sorrowful expression. He knew how Hiccup was feeling, to which he simply asked "That's fine, but can I talk to you for a second?" Glancing over at Heather and Fishlegs, who were both leaned over Astrid, he quietly added "Alone?"

Hiccup could only nod, to which he slowly followed Matt outside.

Standing under the moonlight, Matt quickly turned to face Hiccup, asking "Exactly how deadly is this Scourge of Odin?"

Hiccup instantly replied "We don't know if that's wha-"

"Hiccup! Answer the question." Matt cut off, watching for his reaction.

Sighing, he shook his head, whispering "I don't know. All I know is that it was quick and spread rapidly."

"But from contact right? Like it has to get into your blood?" Matt quizzed, trying to understand it.

Hiccup nodded, looking back inside Astrid's room. "Agh…I'm just so worried about her. This isn't something that we let happen to her!"

Both Matt and Hiccup turned to watch Heather stand up to grab another blanket and Fishlegs as he scanned his book.

"Come on you guys!" Astrid growled, sliding her feet over the edge of the bed and standing up. Forcing a smile, she then said "See? I told you guys…I'm…" Her eyes then started to roll back, and began to lean dangerously to the left.

"Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, sprinting inside. Catching her just as she was falling, he looked down at her with fear and worry.

"I'm fine…" She whispered with her eyes closed.

Heather looked up at Matt with a terrified expression. Matt simply shook his head, whispering "I think we're going to need more than just warm stones for her."

* * *

 ** _Well, there you go! Hope you liked it, and hope you like how I'm integrating Matt into the stories._**

 _ **Also, regarding the question in the reviews if I'm a guy or gal, I'm a guy. Just for your information.**_

 ** _Again, thanks for the support and reviews! Have an awesome day!_**


	4. Chapter 4: Ukiah, Traitor or Friend?

**Chapter Four: Ukiah, Traitor or Friend?**

* * *

"Hey, how is she?" Snotlout asked, seeing Hiccup and Matt walk into the clubhouse.

"She's resting with Heather watching over her." Hiccup replied weakly. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was stricken with worry. Walking up to the central fire place in the club house, he then asked "Find anything Fishlegs?"

"I spent the last few hours combing through my Dragon Eye research and found some old notes." He said, flipping through some loose pages that he wrote down "I didn't think much of them first, but…" At that he handed a single piece of paper to Hiccup with an apologetic expression.

Taking the paper, he quickly scanned it. "The Buffalord! But…nothing on its location." He cried out, though looking disappointed at the same time.

"Great, still at square one." Matt growled, taking the paper and looking over it. Though he still wasn't proficient at it, his reading and writing skills were improving. "There's not much that can help us with this." He added, handing the paper back to Fishlegs.

"Well its big, has ram-like horns, and lives on the plains!" Fishlegs defended "That's something!"

Both Matt and Hiccup stared at him, not even responding to the claim.

Seeing that they still weren't impressed, he then said "I'll keep looking."

Hiccup let out a frustrated sigh, turning to look out of the club house. Ever since they learned that they needed a Buffalord to create a cure for Astrid, his mind couldn't help but think of what he could do to try and find one! How do you find a dragon that's considered extinct?

Matt saw Hiccup's worried and frantic look, to which he rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. Unable to say anything, he just looked at him with a saddened expression, knowing how hard Hiccup was taking it.

"I can't let her die. I shouldn't have let her go on her joy ride by herself!" Hiccup whispered so that only Matt could hear. Frustrated with himself, he growled "Why am I so stupid? I don't learn anything from past experiences!"

"Hiccup, stop right there." Matt consoled, walking him out "Beating yourself up isn't helping anyone.

"Of all things too." Hiccup continued to say, shaking his head in frustration "Of all the fights, battles, injuries she's gone through, she gets deathly sick."

Matt was about to say something, but was stopped as he something begin to form in the distance. A smaller spot in the blue sky. Stopping, he swiped Hiccup's telescope from his pouch and looked ahead.

"What? What is it?" Hiccup asked, alarmed at the sudden action.

Looking though the telescope, Matt froze as he recognized the object. Handing it back to him, he then said "Well, to add to the list of drama, Ukiah's on his way here."

Gasping, Hiccup looked through the telescope and, sure enough, saw Ukiah and his Sand Wraith, Arrow flying towards the Edge. "Well, I guess you guys did invite him…" He whispered, shaking his head at the timing.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs shouted "I think we found something! The twins actually! A map maybe!"

Hiccup whirled around, his eyes wide with hope.

"Go ahead, I'll talk to Ukiah and explain what's going on." Matt announced, pushing him towards the club house "You can fill us in on what you found out."

"Thank you Matt…" Hiccup whispered, obviously grateful for him. Turning, he ran into the room, where Ruffnut and Tuffnut began to explain something.

Sighing, Matt looked up to see Ukiah getting closer and closer. Walking towards the hanger, he waved his arms to flag him down. Seeing Matt, Ukiah guided Arrow towards him, heading right towards the hanger. It was good seeing Ukiah again, though he wished the current events weren't really happening.

"Matt, what's going on?" Ukiah asked aloud, dismounting from Arrow "I got Heather's letter; both of them actually. What's happening?"

"It's good to see you again too!" He laughed, trying to prepare Ukiah for the news.

"Likewise." He replied, a little short with him "What's going on? Did you know about Heather sent the letter to me?

"Well, the letter was both mine and Heather's idea to get you to come here." Matt explained, smiling sheepishly at him.

Freezing in place, Ukiah glared at him angrily. "Wait, so nothing's wrong? You guys lied to me?" He cried out "I was tracking another Dragon Hunter ship that was sailing nearby my island! I was thinking it was Viggo's!"

"Well, funny thing actually." Matt began to say "When we sent the letter, nothing was wrong. Well, so we thought."

Ukiah's head perked up with his angry demeanor disappearing, realizing that something had indeed happened.

Sighing, Matt then broke the news to him. "Ukiah, its Astrid. She's sick."

"Sick? I have a feeling it's more than that." He whispered, his heart quickening in pace.

"We think it's the Scourge of Odin. Matt replied, looking at him with worry.

"Wait. The Scourge of Odin? How? That's been dead for hundreds of years!" He cried, shocked at the news "Are you sure it's the Scourge? Are you sure Hiccup's not over exaggerating?"

"No, we're sure it's the Scourge." Matt replied grimly "Pale green skin, coughing like she's only been breathing smoke; and so weak she can barely even move."

Ukiah just stared at him with worried eyes. His mind was racing at the thought. Almost reluctantly, he asked "How much longer does she have left?"

Matt took a breath, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer. "From time of sickness, three days." Looking at him in the eyes, he added "She was starting to get sick yesterday."

"She has a day left?!" He cried out as his hand gripped his dagger on his hip, trying to relinquish some of the agony he felt.

"Two days. However," Matt corrected "Hiccup and the others are looking for a cure, which we found one. But-"

"But what?" He asked, not liking the catch.

"In order to make the cure, they need the saliva of a Buffalord. A dragon that was hunted to extinction last time the plague hit." Matt explained, guiding Ukiah to walk with him to the club house "Right now we're trying to find where they would have been, and then go there to try and find one."

"That's depending on a lot of 'ifs', you know that right?" Ukiah replied quietly, walking alongside him.

"Trust me Ukiah, I know." Matt answered, shaking his head sorrow "I don't want to admit it, because I sure as hell don't want it to happen, but I think Astrid's not going to be around for very long if we can't find a Buffalord."

Staring at the deck as he walked, Ukiah had an empty expression on his face as he grasped what was happening.

"I'm sorry Ukiah. Not really a great time to bring you back, huh?" Matt whispered, watching his friend and savior stare helplessly at nothing.

"Can I see her?" He asked, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

Matt's breath shortened, knowing how sensitive of a subject it was that he was actually here. But then again, he did so much for them of late; having saved him, Heather, and Astrid a few months back. Not to mention Windshear and Wasatch. Who was he to say no to Ukiah's only request of them? To see the one he still cared for; even if she didn't care for him. Sighing, he nodded, gesturing for him to follow.

"Thanks." Ukiah choked, trying hard not to let a single tear show.

Matt guided him across the maze of ramps. Going up, down, and even a bit diagonal; eventually stopping at Astrid's room. "In here." He whispered, gently opening the door.

Inside, was Astrid lying in bed and in a restless sleep. Heather was busy trying to keep her warm, by placing more warm rocks under her bed. Hearing someone open the door, she turned around to see Ukiah and Matt standing there.

"Ukiah?!" She gasped, shocked at seeing him "You came!"

Only nodding, he whispered "I'm glad you tricked me. I don't think I would have ever known about Astrid until…" His voice trailed off, not wanting to finish his thought.

"Uh, what?" Astrid groaned, barely even able to rest her hand on her head "Wh-who's that?"

Ukiah simply put his finger to his lips, signaling to not tell her about his presence.

"Just Matt. Wanted to see how you're doing." Heather whispered, turning to Astrid. Gently resting her hand on her shoulder to keep her down, she then instructed "Stay down and try to sleep. That's the best thing we can do right now."

"Heh, Matt was right. You are a good healer." She whispered weakly, letting a crack of a smile form on her face, before falling back to sleep.

Ukiah simply stared at her, his face twisted with grief and anger. How could something like this happen to her?! She was a fearless warrior! Not a peasant villager! She didn't deserve this! Closing his eyes, he clenched his fists as he whispered "Come on. I need to talk to Hiccup." At that, he turned and walked out of the room.

"Right behind you." Matt whispered, giving Heather a quick shrug as he followed the vagabond.

"What do we know about the cure?" Ukiah quizzed, his face looking resolute.

"You'll have to ask Hiccup on that. He was busy with Fishlegs learning all he could while Heather and I watched Astrid." Matt explained, taking the lead and heading towards the club house.

Ukiah just nodded, resolving in his mind that he would do everything he could to help. As they approached the clubhouse, they were surprised to see Hiccup and the rest of the gang jog out.

"Ukiah?!" Snotlout cried, his eyes widening "What- How-"

"Heather and I invited him over." Matt explained "And he wants to help."

Ukiah ignored the attention. Walking in between everyone and right up to Hiccup, he simply asked "What do we need to do?"

Looking at Ukiah, Hiccup simply nodded in understanding "What has Matt told you?"

"Astrid's sick and you need to find a dead dragon for the antidote." He quickly replied, his sharp eyes not backing away "I saw her Hiccup. I want to help. Just tell me what you need."

"Well, let's hope to Odin that the Buffalord isn't extinct, because we have a location for them." Hiccup announced "Matt, could you ask Heather to stay with Astrid? Since she's been with her this long."

"She'd probably argue to stay with her." Matt replied, turning and jogging back to Astrid's room "Give me just a second, I'll be ready to go!"

Hiccup watched Matt jog away, to which he faced Ukiah and whispered "Thank you Ukiah. I have a feeling we can use your hunting skills."

"Wait, you want me to kill it if we find one?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Hiccup.

"What? No! Of course not!" Hiccup quickly replied "Especially if one's still alive! I was meaning you helping us track it. Since you've always been a hunter."

"Of course Hiccup! You know I'll do whatever it takes to find one." He replied resolutely. Then, rubbing the back of his head, whispered "Thanks for…uh…you know. Letting me come. Even if it was a trick. I won't stay long, but I'll be here as long as you need me."

"I meant what I said Ukiah. I want you to stay with us. I want you back. As my friend." Hiccup replied, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him closer to the rest of the gang "Guys, you know Ukiah. He's staying here and helping us find a Buffalord!"

"Hey Ukiah. It's, uh, it's been awhile. Huh?" Fishlegs stammered, obviously nervous at seeing the person that was banished years ago.

"It has…" He whispered, feeling the same awkward feeling that they were having. Glancing back at Hiccup, he then asked "How about we just go find your Buffalord. I'm sure we'll get more time to…catch up. Especially when one of us isn't dying."

"Thanks Ukiah, I just wanted you to know that you're still welcome here and that you don't have to leave. Ok?" Hiccup replied, turning and walking towards his room "Everyone, saddle up! We're leaving right now!"

Ukiah watched as everyone split and ran to their rooms or where their dragons were. Looking back at Astrid's room, he whispered to himself "I'm not going to let you die Astrid, not if I'm able to do anything about it."

* * *

"That's the island." Hiccup announced, looking up from his map to the approaching land mass.

"Perfect. Quite the grassland isn't it?" Matt replied loudly, letting Wasatch bank alongside Toothless. He left Teton at Dragon's Edge, to protect Heather and Astrid if needed. That, and he was actually getting quite attached to Heather and Windshear, given that she was always with Matt usually.

"Good. Flatlands make it easier to track. Assuming it didn't fly away. Let's find this dragon." Ukiah grunted, his eyes narrowing as they prepared to land.

"We're all going to split up into groups." Hiccup explained, turning to face everyone "Twins, you go along the east side of the island with Ukiah; Snotlout and Fishlegs, you two go on the west; Matt and I will go through the center and head north, where we'll all meet up. Got it?"

"Hiccup, I'll do better if I'm by myself." Ukiah quickly protested "I'll be able to find any kind of tracks if I don't have to watch over someone else."

Hiccup was about to argue, but was stopped by Matt. "Let him Hiccup. He's been doing this for a long time. Besides, if he's everywhere on the island, he'll have a better chance of finding tracks."

Glancing back and forth between Matt and Ukiah, he let out a sigh and said "Twins, you go on the east side and move north. Ukiah, do what you need to do."

"I'll let Arrow find you guys if I see anything!" Ukiah shouted, letting Arrow dive low and begin to skim right above the valley.

Landing, and watching Ukiah disappear, Hiccup scanned the plains and valleys.

"So…about Ukiah. Are you sure you want to let him stay?" Snotlout asked, looking at Hiccup with worry "He's still kind of running his own show."

"He's staying!" Matt called out, glaring at Snotlout "Until he decides he doesn't want to!"

"Guys! Let's focus on finding a Buffalord! Ok?" Hiccup cried out "Astrid's the top concern, got it?"

No one said anything. They just nodded, knowing the gravity of the situation.

"Remember, these dragons were supposedly hunted to extinction. So if there are any left, they'll have developed a wariness towards humans." Hiccup began to instruct, his eye scanning the vast valley.

"Which means we have to act quickly." Fishlegs chimed in, looking seriously at the need of finding the dragon.

"Not to mention we have less than two days to find this dragon." Matt added, looking at Hiccup with worry "Er, moons as you guys say."

"Come on, let's go!" Hiccup shouted, launching into the air.

The group all split, heading towards their individual directions. Matt quickly caught up with Hiccup, letting Wasatch fly on his own. Scanning the infinite grass, stretching out far beyond his eyesight, he commented "Man, if it weren't a serious reason, I'd almost enjoy it here. Feels like a continent rather than an island."

"Hmm…" Hiccup grunted, not really hearing Matt.

Matt didn't say anything, knowing what was running through his mind. Rather, what wasn't running through his mind? Ukiah was back and though helping, it was still an adjustment for Hiccup and the gang. His best friend, and frankly the love of his life, was dying and depending on a dragon that was supposed to be extinct. Shaking his head, he simply began to look for anything that looked like a dragon.

"Hey Matt." Hiccup whispered, turning to look at him "Be honest with me. Am I scrapping at nothing here? Am I even thinking right about trying to find a Buffalord?" Looking ahead, he asked "Do you think we can save Astrid?"

Matt didn't know what to say. Letting out a long sigh, he then whispered "Hiccup, I don't know. I don't even know what to tell you. I can't say what the future will bring. If I could, I'd have made sure that some things that have happened to us, wouldn't have happened. 'Specially to me."

Hiccup just nodded, still looking ahead.

"But I do know how you would feel if you weren't trying to do something." He continued to say, looking down as they flew over a small ditch "Hiccup, you're doing what you can. What you know is right. You'd be kicking yourself if you weren't trying to help her."

Hiccup turned and looked at him, letting a small crack of a comforted smile grow.

"But for now, let's forget about the possibility of not being able to find a Buffalord. It's not what you dwell on anyways." Matt huffed, urging Wasatch to fly faster "Come on! Let's check that knoll and then cut across the valley."

"Right. Thanks Matt." Hiccup called out, following him closely "That means a lot to me. I just…I'm so worried about her."

"I understand Hiccup, I do." Matt whispered, turning to look at Hiccup with a saddened look "I'm worried about her, and I can't imagine what you're going through."

"Thanks again Matt. You really are my best friend. And brother…" Hiccup replied, a little sheepishly.

"Hey, I'm just here trying to do my part. You guys are the ones that offered me a new life." He laughed, shaking his head "Without you guys, I'd probably still be a punk snowboarder!"

"Heh, who knows? I'm just glad you did come; and more importantly, decided to stay." Hiccup smiled, grateful for Matt's calming attitude "Come on! Let's go find ourselves a Buffalord."

* * *

The sun was starting to set, creating a picturesque kind of scene. Unfortunately, the serene sight was the last thing Matt and Hiccup were looking for. They've been riding all day. Checking low gulley's, to high plain tops. Everywhere on the grasslands island.

Toothless let out a loud groan, shaking his head to stay awake. Wasatch also growled, glancing over at Toothless as if agreeing with him. The dragons were starting to feel the drain of flying all day with hardly any rest.

"I feel ya bud." Hiccup said apologetically "But we have to keep pushing forward."

"Ugh, I might need just a second to stretch my legs." Matt huffed, standing up straight to try and relieve his leg "The brace can only do so much after riding as long as we have."

Hiccup looked at Matt, knowing that he wouldn't say something unless it was really bothering him. Looking ahead, he then exclaimed as he pointed down "Tell you what, let's grab some water from that stream and then we'll get back up in the air." At that, he let Toothless dive down and land next to a small stream.

"Sounds good to me!" Matt replied, letting Wasatch dive after to chase him. Landing only feet away from the water, he quickly unstrapped himself and gently let himself down. "Oooohh…you have no idea how good it feels to actually sit down." He grunted, flopping on the bank of the stream.

Hiccup just nodded, dipping his water container. "I bet it does for you! Standing feels great for me!"

"Heh, trade ya." Matt joked, petting Wasatch as he began to drink from the stream "I might sit on Wasatch when we get back up there. Help rest my leg a little."

"How bad is it? And be honest." Hiccup asked, taking a long swallow from his container.

"It doesn't hurt, just throbs a little." Matt groaned, massaging his leg "Just being on it all day hasn't helped; that, and the pressure of trying to find a Buffalord."

"Tell me about it." Hiccup whispered, looking down in despair.

"Hey, Hiccup. Can I ask you something?" Matt began to ask, taking in the moment to relax.

"Of course! What's on your mind?" Hiccup replied, surprised at the request.

"It's about you. Well, more specifically you and Astrid." Matt asked, looking at him with a concerned look.

Hiccup coughed, spilling his drink. Looking at Matt in surprised, he then asked "Oh? What's bringing this up?"

"You know that Heather and I are, uh, serious. Right?" Matt began to explain "And you know how much she means to me?"

"Of course. It's not hard to see. But what does that have to do with me and Astrid?" He quizzed, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"What does Astrid mean to you? Is she someone special? Or just…a friend?" Matt asked, staring into Hiccup's eyes.

"What kind of question is that?! Of course she's special to me!" Hiccup cried out "She's amazing, talented, full of energy, someone who takes charge, dependable, loya-"

"But what about to you?" Matt interrupted "If she's someone special, shouldn't she be more than just a friend? To me, you described Fishlegs! What is she to you personally?"

Hiccup just looked at Matt, seeing what he was asking.

"Listen, Astrid is a very special girl, who has a special interest in you." Matt began to explain "And I don't want to dwell on what could happen, but what are you going to do if, well, if we can't save her?"

Hiccup just stared at the ground, thinking about what Matt said.

"How are you going to be different?" He followed up with.

"Honestly Matt, I've never pictured life without her. I…I can't even try to imagine what it'll be like." Hiccup whispered, looking up at Matt with a saddened expression "How do you think I felt when she was about to leave to join the Berk Guard?"

"Then tell her, Hiccup. Tell her how you feel." Matt whispered "She may be embarrassed outwardly, but I know she'd be thrilled to hear that from you. As I know you would enjoy it if it came from her."

Hiccup thought on what Matt said, pondering something in his head.

Matt was about to try and comfort him, but was interrupted as Toothless perked up and stared at a direction. Without warning, he instantly bolted ahead, disappearing behind a series of rocks and small ledges.

"Toothless?" Hiccup called out, concerned at why he left.

Wasatch instantly launched forward, chasing after the Night Fury.

"Something's got their attention." Matt grunted, slowly rolling to his feet "Come on, there's a shallow part of the stream over here. Let's get looking for that Buffalord again."

Hiccup quickly helped Matt up, and then began to jog to the crossing. The two Haddocks then ran to where their dragons disappeared to, wondering what made them run off to begin with. To their surprise, they saw Ukiah and Arrow there, standing next to a pile of…something. Toothless and Wasatch were busy greeting the Sand Wraith, who seemed to be happy to be with Toothless again.

"'Bout time we met up." Ukiah called out with his crossbow resting against his shoulder as he smiled at them "Found this as we were back-tracking to get you guys."

"Ukiah! Any luck?" Hiccup asked, walking up to him and the strange pile.

Ukiah only smiled as he gestured to the pile "You might want to get the others. These are Buffalord's droppings."

"Wait, what?!" Hiccup cried out, staring at him in shock "How do you know this?!"

"And what do you mean you were back tracking to find us? Where were you?" Matt followed up with, also surprised at the information.

"Get ready for a ride Hiccup, I found a Buffalord." Ukiah replied, finally letting his crossbow down. Turning to strap it to his saddle, he ignored their shocked expressions. "Come on, Astrid's time is ticking!"

* * *

"A Buffalord!" Snotlout cried out, staring down the hill everyone was standing on "Alive!"

Sure enough, the massive, fat dragon was lazily grazing in the field, unconcerned about the crowd that was gathering around it. It was a flat brown color, with wide eyes and very few teeth. It honestly looked pretty goofy. It had spikes sporadically lying flat along its body, posing no sign of a real defense; other than its sheer size. The sun was starting to rise, since it took all night for the group to find each other and then travel to where Ukiah found it.

"Right where I left him." Ukiah replied with a wide smile. Looking over massive creature proudly, he then said "Wasn't that hard to track. The thing rarely flies. It left tracks clear from where I found you guys, to here."

"Thank you Ukiah!" Hiccup replied ecstatically, grabbing a cup from his pouch. Looking at the gang, he then said "You guys distract it, and I'll get its saliva."

"Or you can just walk up to it." Ukiah replied, grabbing the cup out of Hiccup's hands "He was pretty friendly when Arrow and I found him. If I had a cup, I'd have already grabbed some of his saliva."

Hiccup watched as Ukiah walked straight up to the dragon, unafraid of it. "Incredible. It's really peaceful!"

"It is!" Ukiah replied, letting the saliva drip into the cup "Spent a few minutes petting it. It didn't mind Arrow either."

At that, the Sand Wraith walked up to the Buffalord, growling happily at it while flashing its rows of sharp teeth in a smile.

The Buffalord just yawned, not minding the company at all.

"Here ya' go." Ukiah replied, walking away from the dragon and handing Hiccup the cup.

"Finally!" Hiccup whispered, taking the cup with a relieved expression "Come on! We're running out of time!"

Everyone mounted up, excited to actually have a cure for Astrid.

"Well bud, you ready to fly with the lightning?" Matt asked, smiling as he strapped himself back on Wasatch.

Wasatch just growled, smiling at the thought of riding lightning.

"What the?!" Hiccup shouted, causing everyone to turn and stare at him. Showing the cup, he revealed that it was empty "It dried up!"

"What? How?" Ukiah cried, staring at it in disbelief "I filled it up more than half way!"

"What do we do now?" Fishlegs asked, looking at Hiccup with concern.

Hiccup stared at the cup, as if it was his only hope that dried up. Looking up at the gang with a resolved look, he whispered "We rope it and take it to Dragon's Edge. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Ugh, wish you didn't say that." Matt grunted, shaking his head "Now it will be; given our luck."

"Come on and help me out, Matt." Hiccup called out, grabbing a large coil of rope from one of his saddle bags.

Ukiah watched the two work together, watching them interact. Actually, he just watched Matt. Just from seeing how Hiccup and the others reacted to him, and how he talked to them, he could tell that he was close with everyone. Especially Hiccup. Sighing, he shook his head as he thought of himself. Though at one point he was close to Hiccup and Astrid, he was really just friends with the others. Matt was special to all of them, and he couldn't figure out exactly why.

"There. That should hold." Matt grunted, tightening the rope around the Buffalord's chest and back. The homemade harness looked perfect for guiding the dragon to the Edge.

"He's amazingly docile for his size." Fishlegs commented "Almost yak-like."

"Heh, no wonder these guys were hunted to extinction." Snotlout joked "You need to toughen up Buff."

"All set. Let's go." Hiccup replied, looking at the handy work "Come on, we need to get him to Astrid!" Everyone scrambled to their dragons, with Hiccup tying the rope to Toothless. "Alright bud, let's bring this guy back to the Edge." He whispered, locking his foot in the place. Testing the tail, he turned to see that everyone was ready to go. "Let's get going guys!"

At that, everyone took off, watching the Buffalord closely. As Toothless drew tight on the rope, the Buffalord growled in annoyance at being pulled away.

"Come on, big guy…come on!" Hiccup shouted, glaring at the stubborn dragon.

Just as Matt was sure he'd have to do something to motivate the dragon, the Buffalord spread his wings and began to follow Toothless.

"Heh, easy." Ukiah whispered, letting Arrow glide alongside Wasatch.

"Yeah, it was." Matt replied with a smile. Turning to Fishlegs, he then asked "Hey, Fishlegs, do you think Dragon's Edge could support this guy?"

"Well, we do have a large plain on the west side of the island…so…maybe? I just don't know how much he can eat!" Fishlegs replied.

Suddenly the Buffalord flared up, almost like a pufferfish. An angry snort sounded, followed by smoke getting exhaled by it.

"Uh…guys? I think somethings up with the Buff." Snotlout said, suddenly getting nervous.

Snap! The rope broke off as if it were a small string! The Buffalord roared angrily, spewing a large wave of fire at Hiccup and Toothless.

"Look out!" Hiccup roared, barely dodging the fire.

Matt barely had time to roll out of the way as a hail of spikes shot out like bullets from a gun.

"Gah! Arrow!" He could hear Ukiah yell.

Finishing the roll, Matt looked up to see Snotlout busy patting a small fire that lingered on his tunic. He quickly found the Buffalord, flying back to the island and quickly settling down, as if nothing ever happened.

"What was that?!" Snotlout roared, staring angrily at the now careless Buffalord.

"He appears to be fine, so long as he's on his island." Fishlegs observed, looking at Hiccup with concern.

"Hey, where's Ukiah?" Ruffnut asked, looking around for the Sand Wraith.

"Down here!" Ukiah's voice yelled angrily.

Everyone looked down to see Ukiah on the ground, with Arrow laying down.

"Ukiah! Is Arrow ok?" Hiccup cried out, landing Toothless next to him.

"He's fine. Took a spike in the wing though." Ukiah huffed, showing a spike in hand. Pointing to the hole, he said "He can still fly, but he's gonna rest for a little bit. And I'd like to stay with him if I can."

"Of course. The last thing we need is another potential death." Matt said, walking up to the Sand Wraith's wing. Seeing the tear in the wing, he asked "Can wings heal for stuff like that?"

"Yeah, just takes a little time." Fishlegs replied, also walking up and observing the wing "A month tops. It shouldn't affect his ability to fly, or swim." Kneeling down, he then asked Ukiah "Mind if I help him?"

"Of course! Anything you know to help, we'll both be grateful." Ukiah replied, kneeling down with Fishlegs "And…thanks."

Fishlegs just smiled and nodded at him, as he began to assess the tear.

"So, what now?" Tuffnut asked, looking back at the Buffalord "We can't bring him to Astrid, or any of its saliva."

"We bring Astrid to the Buffalord." Hiccup answered resolutely.

"Don't worry Hiccup, I'm on it!" Snotlout replied loudly "I'll be right back!"

"Hey, bring Heather along too!" Matt shouted, watching Snotlout take off and fly away.

Hiccup just watched Snotlout and Hookfang become a speck in the distance, his face growing solemn the farther they flew. Turning to the Buffalord, he simply let out a frustrated sigh.

Matt walked up to him and rested his hand on Hiccup's shoulder, trying to comfort him "We still have today Hiccup. She'll be fine. With Heather watching over her, I'd be surprised if she didn't have a little extra time."

Hiccup just nodded, knowing he was trying to help him out. "Thanks Matt, I'm just worried about not getting it to her in time." He whispered "I've been thinking about what you've asked me, and I know I can't be without her."

Matt just looked at him with misting eyes. Looking at where Snotlout disappeared to, he thought that he couldn't travel fast enough to ease Hiccup's mind.

* * *

 _ **There you go! For those who are just catching up, I'm not writing every single episode on RTTE Season 3. Just the ones that I felt would and could build and reinforce my story that I'm creating. Hope you're enjoying it!**_

 _ **Again, thank you for the support, follows, and messages! If you have any questions or such, feel free to PM me!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	5. Chapter 5: Healed Not Just Astrid

**Chapter Five: Healed. And Not Just Astrid**

* * *

"There they are!" Fishlegs called out excitedly, pointing to the horizon. It was into the afternoon, and each passing minutes seemed to chip away at everyone's spirit.

Matt and Hiccup ran to where Fishlegs was, relieved to see a Monstrous Nightmare, a Razorwhip, and a Deadly Nadder flying towards them.

"Finally." Hiccup breathed out, his face visibly relaxing at the sight.

"Why's she riding by herself?" Ukiah asked aloud, walking up to them "How's she holding on?"

"Better go help her." Matt suggested, walking up to where they were going to land.

Hiccup didn't need to be told. He was already running to where Stormfly was touching down. No sooner had she done so, Astrid began to slide off the side.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried, catching her before she hit the ground. Looking down at her with a worried expression, he stared at her in horror. Her color was almost snow white, with a very visible green splotching her face and exposed skin. She looked like a skeleton.

Knowing Hiccup had her, she tried to say something, but could only softly groan.

"Shh…just rest." Hiccup whispered, his eyes filling up with tears "We're going to beat this. I promise you Astrid, you just have to keep fighting and hold on."

Heather walked up to Matt with an exhausted and depressed face. Not saying anything, she simply walked into and grabbed him in a hug; burying her head in his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked, shocked at seeing her act that way.

"No. I'm not. Do you know what it felt like watching her die?" Heather whispered, looking up at him with tears streaming down her face "I couldn't do anything! There was nothing I could do to make her comfortable or-"

Matt simply grabbed and squeezed her, trying to comfort her distraught feelings. Looking over at Hiccup he overheard him continue to say to Astrid: "You need to stay with us. I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Matt then watched him set her down against a large rock, propping her up. It was the first time he got a good look at her. Seeing her skeleton-like appearance, realized realize how close they were to losing her. Hiccup continued to console her, trying to make her comfortable.

Ukiah walked up to him, looking at him with sorrow as he whispered "Hiccup, now or never. Don't worry, I'll stay with her. Ok?"

Hiccup just nodded at him, whispering "Thanks Ukiah." At that, he instantly stood up and began to walk to the Buffalord with cup in hand.

Heather looked up at the dragon, staring at it in disbelief "So that's a Buffalord?" She asked quietly, as if her voice would scare it away.

"Yeah, Ukiah was the one that found it. Tracked it all day yesterday." Matt answered "It's been an adventure just trying to get the saliva to Astrid."

Heather just stared at the enormous dragon as Hiccup held the cup to its mouth. "There we go." He whispered, smiling in relief as he turned and jogged to Astrid.

Everyone circled around where she lay, anxious to see what would happen.

"Here. Here you go." Hiccup whispered quietly, gently pouring the liquid into Astrid's half open mouth.

Astrid coughed weakly, not even able to open her eyes. Groaning in agony, she just lay there.

"Uh, nothing's happening!" Hiccup called out, panic in his voice.

"Maybe the antidote takes time to works?" Fishlegs suggested, looking at Astrid in worry.

Everyone watched with white knuckles as Astrid continued to lay there. Suddenly, she began violently coughing, making everyone stare at her with wide, worried eyes. Looking like she was in pain, she then held herself and shivered vividly.

"Gods no!" Ukiah said aloud, kneeling next to her "That's a death rattle if I've ever seen one!" Looking at Hiccup, he then said what everyone was thinking "It's not working!"

Fishlegs was already looking through the list that Gothi gave them to make the cure. In a panicked voice, he read aloud "It just says the green solution will cure the Scourge! Green solution! Cure! That's it!"

"The Buffalord's saliva was clear. What does it mean 'green solution'?" Hiccup asked, kneeling down with Ukiah and looking over Astrid.

"Uhhh." Fishlegs stammered, pouring over the notes and papers.

Heather then dropped down next to Astrid, pressing her hand against her forehead. "She's freezing! She's literally freezing to death!"

Matt and Snotlout then turned around, hearing something smacking. To their surprise, they saw the twins sitting down and eating grass.

"How can you guys eat at a time like this?!" Snotlout cried out angrily.

"And more importantly, how can you eat that stuff?!" Matt added, his own temper starting to flare "Can you clowns please, for one second, at least act like you care?!"

"Hey! People deal with stress differently, okay?" Ruffnut argued, glaring at Matt and Snotlout.

"And we're eating what the Buffalord eats! Because, hey, who doesn't want the same kind of droppings as the Buffalord?" Ruffnut followed up with.

Fishlegs whirled around, glaring at the twins. Then, seeing them eating the long grass, he noticed something. "Oh! Wait! Hiccup!" He cried out, catching his and Ukiah's attention. Pointing to the twins, he said "Look!"

Ukiah was the first to see it. "Of course! The herbs the Buffalord eats! That's what the healing factor is! Not the saliva alone!"

"Come on Astrid." Hiccup whispered, grabbing her hand and holding it in his "Hang in there. Just a little longer. Please. For me."

"Snotlout, help me guide the Buffalord to this patch of…whatever it is." Matt called out, pointing to a patch nearby.

"Does someone have a blanket? Astrid needs something!" Heather cried out, feeling her arms were cold to the touch.

"I got something in my saddle bag. Be right back!" Ukiah shouted, standing up and running to where he left Arrow behind a small hill.

"Come on you big Buff." Snotlout growled, coaxing the Buffalord to the patch Matt was standing at "You worked up a healthy appetite trying to kill us earlier, so eat! Eat!"

The Buffalord growled happily, seeing that it was camped right over a large patch of its herbs. Immediately, it began to eat, with no care for Snotlout or Matt standing right next to it.

"It's working!" Fishlegs called out, seeing some of the green saliva begin to ooze from the Buffalord's mouth.

Hiccup just let a relieved smile grow on his face as he extended his arm out.

"Hiccup! Look out!" Matt shouted, staring at something high above them.

Hiccup looked up in time to see a massive net drop down. Dropping the cup, he leapt forward and rolled away as the net flopped over the Buffalord. "What? What's going on?!" He cried out, staring at the dragon, though it looked like it didn't even notice the net draped over it.

"You've got to be freakin' kidding me!" Matt shouted, flipping open his knife "Hunters, and lots of 'em!"

Hiccup whirled around, staring at a large group of hunters running towards them. Then the sight that made his blood run cold. Viggo and Ryker marching behind their men, with smug grins on their faces. "Viggo!" He roared, sending a death glare at the confident looking man. The memory of the night he was frozen by the Flightmare, when Viggo took the Dragon Eye, it was all flashing through his mind.

"Hello Hiccup." Viggo jeered, stopping just feet away from him "Thank you so very much for this gift. I do apologize that you won't be able to use it to save your little friend…" At that he grinned evilly at where Astrid lay, with Heather and Fishlegs standing over and guarding her.

Hiccup reluctantly began to back off, with the Hunter's pointing their crossbows at him and Snotlout. Hookfang and Toothless promptly backed up their riders, growling at the approaching Hunters.

"How?!" Fishlegs cried out "There's no trace of this island anywhere! How did he-"

"Fishlegs, later." Matt growled, testing the edge of his knife "Right now, we have to stop them from taking the Buffalord!"

"Agreed! I've been dying for a little action anyways!" Snotlout growled, letting Hookfang launch into the air.

"Let's make this count bud." Hiccup whispered, his eyes narrowing in anger as he leapt onto Toothless. Toothless roared, launching into the air and taking a wide circle around the Hunters. Hookfang was right behind him, snarling at the Hunter's below.

"Dragon riders, incoming!" Ryker yelled, pointing at Hiccup with his sword.

One Hunter raised his crossbow, ready to fire at the approaching Night Fury. Just as Ryker was sure he was going to pull the trigger, a lightning bolt smashed the Hunter in the back and sent him flying. Both Ryker and Viggo turned to stare at Matt, who was smirking at them. Behind him was Wasatch, who was radiating a small storm up and down his back, as well as along his wings.

"Hey Ryker, been awhile hasn't it?" Matt called out, spinning his knife in his hand "Wanna dance again? I'm a lot healthier than last time."

"I've been waiting for the chance to send yeh to Helheim." Ryker growled, focusing on Matt as he drew his second sword.

"Wasatch! Now!" Matt roared, pointing his knife at Ryker.

Wasatch fired a large bolt at the seasoned Hunter, to which he rolled barely out of the way! "Get the cart up here!" Ryker roared, glaring at his men "We can't hold off the dragons for forever!"

A wooden cart was brought into view, to which Viggo then ordered "Show them no mercy! But safeguard our prize." He was strangely calm, not showing any emotion.

Hookfang then flew by, shooting a large fire shot at a Hunter, who was promptly blasted away. Two other Hunters raised their crossbows, taking aim and firing at him.

"Gah! Hookfang!" Snotlout shouted while pulling back on Hookfang's horns, feeling one of the bolts whiz by his head "Move!"

Toothless buzzed by the ground, blasting right next to Ryker and another Hunter. The Hunter was focused on the Night Fury, to which Ryker saw out of the corner of his eye the Twins and their Zippleback coming straight at them. Grabbing the crossbow out of the Hunter's hands, he quickly raised it with one hand and fired; hitting the dragon directly in the center of the chest.

"Whoa-oh!" Tuffnut shouted as Barf and Belch crashed into the ground and rolling to a stop.

The paralyzed dragon and stunned riders were quickly surrounded by the Hunters, only to be blasted away by Hiccup and Toothless.

"Hiccup! I can't get a clear shot!" Snotlout shouted angrily, trying to look for another opportunity.

"Pull up riders! We can't risk hurting the Buffalord!" Hiccup shouted, knowing what Snotlout was meaning.

"Quick, load the beast on the cart!" Ryker ordered, seeing a window of time to move.

Another Hunter aimed his crossbow at Hiccup while the others pushed the Buffalord over and onto the cart. About to pull the trigger, he suddenly felt a force smash into him, sending him flying across the grassy ground.

Viggo turned to see his man crumple to the ground with a vicious looking crossbow bolt sticking out of his side. Shocked, he looked in the direction bolt would have come from, just in time to see some of the grass rustle as if someone ran away or hid themselves. "Ergh." He growled "Load up our prize! They have some people fighting dirty!"

"Since you've only been a noble fighter, you underhanded prick!" Matt shouted, confronting Viggo with Wasatch behind him. Wasatch growled angrily, his eyes trying to pierce Viggo's.

"Hmm yes, I guess I too have been, heh, underhanded as you would say." Viggo whispered, annoyed at seeing that Matt stopped them from leaving "But, on the topic of underhanded moves, I'd like to warn you as I have Hiccup."

"Shut up and give up the Buffalord, Viggo." Matt growled, rubbing the flat side of his blade "Before I do what I'm going to do Darien when I find her. Why isn't your pet with you anyways? I've been itching to give her my knife back."

"Darien? She's busy running some errands for me. Though I'm sure you'll get your chance to see her soon." Viggo scoffed, shaking his head lightly at him "But before you try to run me through, hear my warning."

"Oh? This ought to be good." Matt huffed sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Viggo.

"The traitor in Maces and Talons cannot escape their role or fate." Viggo replied with a smile "You should ask Hiccup who the traitor is in our little game. And when you learn for yourself, don't trust them with anything. It'll only lead to your undoing. And heartache."

Confused at the saying, Matt just shook his head, saying "Enough riddles Viggo. You end here! Wasatch!"

"Ryker." Viggo said quietly, shaking his head at Matt.

Out of the corner of his eye, Matt saw Ryker fire a crossbow, nailing Wasatch in the neck. "Wasatch!" Matt roared, running to his struggling dragon.

"Who is ending who?" Viggo replied slyly, a small grin forming on his face "Who's defenseless now?"

Matt looked up from Wasatch to see Ryker reloading his crossbow, glaring at Matt with hate. He was just as Viggo said, defenseless. Then the sight that brought some relief; a shadow that hovered over him and Wasatch.

"Viggo! Stop!" Hiccup roared, stopping over Matt and Wasatch. Trying to protect him and the downed Skrill, he shouted "You have no idea what you're doing!"

"I beg to differ, Hiccup." Viggo rebutted "I'm keenly aware of my actions!" Walking up to the Buffalord, he explained "This dragon is exceedingly unique. It will elicit a considerable bounty on the open market." Looking up at Hiccup, he then growled angrily "You should have left well enough alone Hiccup Haddock; my fishing boat was no place for you or your riders."

"Your fishing boat?!" Hiccup cried out, gasping in horror. The entire thing was set up!

"Get moving." Viggo ordered his remaining men. Watching them begin to push the Buffalord away, he then laughed "It's simple really. Supply and demand. I knew I could generate the supply, so all I had to do was generate the demand." At that, he gestured to where Astrid lay, still guarded by Fishlegs and Heather.

Heather gasped, realizing exactly how Astrid caught the Scourge. Her rage took over, as she marched over towards him "You monster! I'll kill you for doing this to her!"

"Oh Heather." Viggo laughed "That temper got you in trouble before. Are you willing to let your friends suffer because of it?"

Heather froze, seeing Ryker aim the crossbow at Matt. She could tell it was everything in his power to not send the bolt into Matt.

"Now that's a good girl." Viggo teased, seeing her curl her fists in agonizing frustration.

"Come on Hiccup! Let's take out this psycho out already!" Snotlout yelled, getting visibly upset with him.

Hiccup stared at Viggo in anger. "Alright bud, let's just finish him!"

"Ryker!" Viggo shouted, seeing that Hiccup was about to strafe him.

Ryker instantly pointed the crossbow away from Matt and at the Buffalord. Walking up closer to it, he let the crossbow bolt rest against the dragon's head. At that range, it'd have no problem piercing its skull.

"Whoa! Stop!" Hiccup shouted pulling back on Toothless. He lost. There was no way to free the Buffalord.

"I'd think twice about your actions Hiccup." Viggo called out, smirking at him "You see, this is a loss that I'm willing to take. The question is, are you?" At that, he again gestured to Astrid, who could only shudder.

"Ok! Ok…" Hiccup cried out, seeing her die in front of him "You win. You get the dragon."

"Hiccup!" Matt shouted, looking up from Wasatch and staring at him in disbelief.

Ignoring Matt, he continued to say "But leave us with what we came here for. The Scourge antidote. The Buffalord saliva. I'm not leaving here without it, and that's a loss I'm not willing to take!"

Viggo just looked at him with a satisfied expression, almost agreeing with him.

"So what's it going to be? Do we have a deal, or are we both leaving empty handed?" He growled. His heart was beating a million miles an hour. He had to get that saliva! He had to!

Viggo thought for a second about the stakes. Slowly, he began to nod as he waved his hand. Ryker backed off, pointing the crossbow at the ground.

Hiccup promptly landed Toothless, seeing that Viggo agreed. Stepping off, he then quickly walked to the Buffalord's head. Letting the saliva collect, he ignored Viggo's taunting. Matt just stared at Hiccup, knowing how hard it was for him to give up the Buffalord. Shaking his head, he simply looked over at Astrid, who looked like she was trying to protest what was going on. Hiccup then stood up and walked away from Viggo and towards where Astrid lay.

"All's well that ends well, hmm?" Viggo commented, watching him walk away "So long Hiccup Haddock. I can't wait to continue our contest!" He shouted, as the Hunter's began to push their prize over a hill and towards where their ship was anchored.

Hiccup didn't hear him. He simply kneeled down at Astrid and held the cup to her mouth. Astrid just groaned, unable to really function.

"I know. I know…" He whispered softly, lifting the cup to help her swallow "Just drink."

Matt watched the last of Hunters disappear. Shaking his head angrily, he looked down to see Wasatch resting, giving up on trying to move around. The Dragon Root arrow was doing its job in keeping him incapacitated.

"Come on, Astrid needs us." Heather whispered, grabbing Matt and gently pulling on him "Wasatch will be fine."

Reluctantly, Matt let her guide him to where everyone surrounded where Astrid lay, changing his attention to her as Hiccup continued to help her drink the remaining antidote.

Heather held onto Matt, staring at her with almost a pleading in her eyes. It had to work. It just had too! Matt just stood his ground, knowing this was it. Their last chance to cure Astrid. If it didn't work, they'd be having a funeral that very day.

Then, to everyone's desired relief, her eyes fluttered open, signaling that she was getting some strength back. "Hiccup…I…I think…I think it's-" She began to mumble more coherently.

"Working!" He gasped, seeing color almost magically flush back through her body.

"Ohmigods!" Heather gasped, squeezing Matt tightly as everyone watched her slowly stand up on her own.

Standing straight up, she then stumbled as she tried to take a step. Hiccup quickly caught her, to which she just smiled as she was able to stand on her own.

Matt breathed a sigh of relief, letting the pressure and stress wash over him. They did it. They lost the Buffalord, but they did it. They saved Astrid.

"Alright, so…after Viggo?" Ruffnut asked, raising an evil smile at the thought.

"Yeah! Let's wipe that smug-" Snotlout added, only to be interrupted by Hiccup.

"No. Stand down. We agreed to let him leave the island with that dragon. And that's exactly what we're going to do." Hiccup ordered with his eyes hardening.

"I know it was tough for you to agree to that." Matt replied, walking up to Hiccup "But it was the right call."

"I know it was." Hiccup replied, letting a smile grow on his face.

"Wait, Hiccup, what do you know?" Heather asked, recognizing the face that gave away any of Hiccup's plans.

"Let's wait a few minutes, and then you'll see." He replied, looking over at Astrid with a relieved expression "How are you feeling?"

"Better. You can't believe how much different I feel!" She whispered, smiling sheepishly at him. Looking at every one of her friends, she whispered "Thank you. Thank you for, well, saving my life."

"Uh…Astrid." Matt began to say, rubbing the back of his head "Before you get too carried away with the thank you's. You should know we had some, uh, third party help finding the Buffalord."

Looking at Matt, Astrid just raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to explain.

"You see…Ukiah was with us. And he was the one that helped us find the Buffalord." He explained, waiting to see her explode.

Much to everyone's surprise, she simply whispered "I know."

"What? How?!" Fishlegs asked, shocked at the revelation.

"I wasn't asleep when I got here." She explained "I couldn't open my eyes, but I could still hear." Looking at Hiccup, she added "I know he was here and helping you."

"And you're not mad?" Ukiah's voice interrupted, making everyone turn to see him and Arrow standing behind everyone.

"Where were you? We could have used you in that figh- oh…" Snotlout shouted, only to quickly shut up as he saw what was in his hands.

Cleaning his dagger, the Gronckle Iron blade being coated in blood, as was some of his gear. Letting a small smile grow on his face, he simply answered "Viggo had a small group of men flanking you. Arrow and I made short work of them."

Heather jogged past him up the hill, looking over where he would have been. Gasping, she saw three men lying on the ground with crossbow bolts sticking out of their heart. A few more were piled next to each other, plus two that looked like Arrow's victims; being slashed all over and torn up.

Astrid let out a sigh, seeing Ukiah wipe the blade clean. Turning to Hiccup, she then asked "I'd like to officially send those I found on that fishing ship to Valhalla. Any chance I can?"

"Of course! We'll go right now!" He replied, knowing it would mean a lot to her.

"No." She whispered while turning to face Ukiah, who had just finished sheathing his dagger "Just me and Ukiah."

Ukiah gasped as he stared at her in shock. That was the last thing he expected to hear!

"We need to talk." She explained, turning to everyone that looked like they were frozen by a Flightmare "And we need to be alone."

Strangely, Hiccup was the first one to recover. Nodding in agreement, he then said "That's fine with me Astrid. I'm just glad you're alive and well."

"Me too. Thank you Hiccup." She whispered, smiling gently at him.

"Errooooggggghhh!" A roar sound above the riders. Everyone looked up in shock to see the Buffalord fly overhead, and land lazily in a grass field.

"That does it." Hiccup whispered, smiling at the dragon.

"You knew it would escape!" Fishlegs shouted, seeing what Hiccup planned on.

"If it raged when we took it, it would only be a matter of time before he would do the same to Viggo." Hiccup laughed, smiling at the sight. Turning to Astrid, he then said "You two go ahead. We're going to help mend Barf and Belch, plus Wasatch. They did take some arrows during the fight."

"Sounds good. Thank you Hiccup…for, well, everything." Astrid whispered, smiling sheepishly at him. Walking over to Stormfly, who was obviously grateful to have her rider back, she then called out "You ready, Ukiah?"

Still looking like he was hit by a charging Rumblehorn, Ukiah only nodded as he slowly climbed on Arrow.

"See you guys tonight!" She shouted, launching into the air. Ukiah followed, though almost hesitantly.

Hiccup watched the two disappear, smiling as he thought more about the end result of the battle.

"You did pretty good there Hiccup. You did pretty damn good." Matt whispered, walking up and lightly hitting him in the shoulder.

Hiccup only nodded in acknowledgement, thinking about the scary event, and the future; with Astrid.

* * *

"There do I see my father, my mother, and my brothers and my sisters. They bid me to take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla…where the brave shall live forever." Astrid said aloud, watching the fishing ship start to burn as a raging inferno, sending the fallen and dead to the halls of Valhalla.

Ukiah hovered alongside Astrid, watching the ship burn. The memory flashed through his head when he saw his ship. The one that was prepared for him four years ago. Was he glad that he was still alive? He didn't know. He was grateful to be able to be with Hiccup again, but the thought flashed across his mind that maybe it would have been better if he hadn't survived the fateful duel with Strogg. Looking at Astrid, who was also just watching the ship burn, he then thought of the times he saved her, and helped his friends. No. It was best that he was alive; if not for his sake, then for theirs.

"Ukiah." Astrid whispered, still watching the ship burn "I hope you have an idea of how hard it is for me to talk to you." Slowly, she turned to him and quietly asked "Do you?"

"I can only imagine how you felt that day four years ago…Gods, almost five." He replied, equally quiet "I'm only able to speculate how you feel."

Astrid didn't say anything right away. Here she was, talking with the person she swore she'd cut in half if given the chance. Looking down, she then asked "Do you know how much you hurt me? How hard it was to move on?"

"Astrid." Ukiah replied, finally looking at her in the eyes "I only know how hard it was for me. To live with the consequence of losing control. To have pushed you away from me. I can only know how I felt, not you; and I'm not going to try and pretend too. I'm sorry Astrid. I really am."

Astrid was about to say something, but was cut off by Ukiah.

"Listen. Me helping find the Buffalord was me trying to help you, that was all." He explained "I had no intention of making you forgive me. I was just doing what I would have done otherwise. I'm not trying to convince or bully you into forgiving me, nor will I try to! If you ever decide to forgive me, I want it to be naturally and on your own choice and will. Not because I made you feel like you owe it to me."

"Ukiah." Astrid whispered, staring at him in the eyes "You really hurt me. I cared about you, and you betrayed that."

Ukiah just looked down, ashamed of his past and with what happened.

"But I can't ignore what you've done recently. You saved me twice now, plus both Heather and Matt from Strogg, and you refused to kill him; even after all you've been through. And just recently, you were the reason why Hiccup found a Buffalord to begin with." Guiding Stormfly to hover closer to Arrow, she whispered "Ukiah, I forgive you. I'll forget what you did to me and be willing to start over with you."

Ukiah just gaped at her, not believing what he was hearing.

"That being said, since we're starting over, you need to know that it's not going to be the same as last time." She continued to say "I…I-"

"I understand Astrid. I've seen how much Hiccup cares about you." He said aloud, putting her mind at ease "There's nothing more that I want, than to be with you again; but you and Hiccup were meant for each other. He loves you, and you love him. I'm not going to try and replace him or butt in your relationship."

"Thank you, Ukiah." She whispered, blushing a little bit at the topic of her relationship with Hiccup "For what it's worth, I hope you can forgive me for being so tough on you. When you were trying to change, I refused to let you…"

"Astrid, you have nothing to apologize for." Ukiah whispered "What you've done for me now, means more than anything in the world. Thank you."

Astrid let a small smile grow on her face. There he was. The person she missed for those long years. The old Ukiah. The one she pulled out of Strogg's arena almost five years ago.

"Come on, let's go." Ukiah said aloud, turning away from the burning ship "I know Hiccup wants to be with you. As does everyone else."

Astrid just nodded in understanding, to which she began to let Stormfly began to fly back to Dragon's Edge. Knowing Ukiah was right next to her, she then said aloud "Ukiah, let me be the next to welcome you to Dragon's Edge. I hope you decide to stay with us."

Ukiah again stared at her with surprise, to which he replied "Thank you Astrid…I…I can't tell you how much that means to me right now."

Letting a small smile grow, she simply whispered exactly what she thought of him "I'm just glad to have the old Ukiah back. The one I saved from Thariin's arena."

"You know what?" He replied, looking ahead "It's been a long time since I felt the same."

* * *

Hiccup was alone in the clubhouse, tending to a dying fire. Thinking about the recent events, he was busy contemplating something when he heard a joyful squawk sound outside. "Astrid!" He shouted, seeing her and Ukiah basically land in the clubhouse "You're back! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine Hiccup. I feel as if I was never sick since you gave me that…" The thought then made her gag, making Hiccup flash with worry "Ugghhh…saliva…"

Realizing why she gagged, Hiccup flashed an apologetic smile. "Heh, sorry about that. Especially the first time I made you drink that when it wasn't even the antidote."

Astrid just laughed, lightly hitting him in the arm "Don't apologize, you saved my life!" Then a lot quieter, whispered "Thank you Hiccup…I owe you big time."

"Hey, you would have done the same for me." He quickly replied smiling sheepishly "And I meant what I said earlier; I can't imagine a life without you."

"You know Hiccup, I can't imagine a life without you either." She whispered, looking down from his gaze.

Ukiah quietly slipped back, leaving them alone. "Come on, Arrow let's go see where we're sleeping tonight." He whispered, guiding his dragon away.

"Hey, Ukiah!" Hiccup called out, looking at him as he tried to slip away.

"Yeah, Hiccup?" He replied, turning around but still walking backwards.

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you." Hiccup whispered "I hope you decide to stay a little longer. We can use you."

Smiling, Ukiah gestured to Astrid, saying "If I left, I'd be having Astrid hunt me down! I'd rather face Strogg again rather than having her chase me!"

"Better remember that!" She teased, grinning evilly at him "You'll see I'm much worse than he ever was!"

Ukiah just laughed as he turned around and began to walk away "I'm staying Hiccup. Besides, I have some information about the Hunters and some patterns I've seen. I'll talk to you tomorrow about it."

"Likewise, I have something I talked to Matt about. Something a little worrying." He called out, watching Ukiah walk away.

"Tomorrow then." Ukiah confirmed, finally disappearing with Arrow.

"What is it? What's got you worried?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow as she turned to Hiccup.

Hiccup didn't say anything at first. Slightly shaking his head, he slowly turned around to walk inside the clubhouse.

"Hiccup?" She said warily "Silence isn't a good sign."

"Just…just thinking about what Viggo said about 'providing supply'." He whispered, leaning against the central fireplace. Letting Astrid take her place alongside him, he whispered "I'm a little worried that they may have unlocked the Dragon Eye."

"How? Do you think they found a Snowwraith tooth?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know, but Matt brought up a good point." Hiccup explained "Viggo is a Dragon Hunter. Part of the group that made the Dragon Eye to begin with. Matt suggested that they would know the details and secrets about it."

"You think he found a way past the locks and traps on it." She whispered, summing up his theory.

"And with what Ukiah said about the Hunter's going from island to island to get dragons the past few months, it would make sense." Hiccup continued to say, folding his arms as he contemplated the possibility.

"Regardless, we'll stop them. And get the Dragon Eye back." Astrid comforted, letting her arm swing around him "With all of us!"

Hiccup smiled as he turned to face her. Thinking about what Matt told him about making her feel special, he reached up and grabbed her. Without warning, he simply kissed her.

Astrid was shocked at first, it being the first time Hiccup made the first move. Realizing that he was showing her that he did love her, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him and held the kiss longer.

"With all of us." Hiccup whispered, still holding her close. At that, the two just stood there, knowing they did love each other.

* * *

 _ **Hey! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm not sure if I mentioned this before with this specific story, but spoilers are prevalent in it. My take on it is explain maybe a few things that happened behind the scenes of the actual episodes of RTTE. As well as include what happens within the episode or episodes themselves.**_

Now, as something that's been bugging me personally, is my writing. Re-reading my stories in the past, I can see that I got a lot better via writing. However, I still see plenty of errors; 'specially with grammar and such. All I ask is patience and understanding! I'm a numbers guy! Writing isn't necessarly a strong suit in my life, though I'm trying to be better.

So. That being said, thank you for you patience and understanding. I sincerely hope you enjoy this and my other stories! Thanks for the support!

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	6. Chapter 6: Getting to Know Matt

**Chapter Six: Getting to Know Matt**

* * *

"Morning Matt!" Heather called out, opening his door to his little section of the loft they shared "Time to wake up!"

"Ugh…" He groaned, rolling over to look away "Really? It can't be time to get up already…"

"Come on! It's late morning now!" She teased, walking in and pulling his blanket off "Besides, Ukiah is going to fill us in with all he knows about the Hunters!"

"Great…" He groaned, annoyed as the cool air rushed on him. Sitting up, he glared at her, saying "Sometimes I do like to sleep in a bit! Especially after something crazy, like the adventure and scare we had yesterday!"

"What? And miss out on all the other adventures that await us?" She laughed, ignoring the icy glare from him. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him up and out of bed.

"Agh!" He cried, stumbling as he stood up. Gripping his leg, he quickly began to massage it.

"Uh oh. Is it acting up again?" She asked, looking at his leg with concern "Did I aggravate it?"

"Nah, it's just the same as usual." He grunted, trying to soothe the throbbing pain that usually lingered on after the lightning like jab. Shaking his head, he then stood up straight and grabbed one of his tunics hanging on the wall.

"Come on, I'll help you." She said, throwing his free arm around her and began to walk down the stairs from their loft.

"Couldn't wait for me to put on my shirt?" He asked as he was forced to walk with her.

"You wasted enough time today." She teased, looking up and smirking at him "I hope you learned a lesson!"

"I did. Next time I'm going to fall asleep where you can't find me!" He teased back, a wry smile growing on his face.

"Ugh, Matt!" She groaned while shaking her head "You're still a handful. Like a bag of Terrible Terrors, you're impossible sometimes!"

"I know. But that's why you like me." He replied, smiling from ear to ear as he watched her blush. Limping down the stairs with her and out of their room, he purposely left his brace hanging near the doorway.

"Don't you need it?" She asked, seeing that he never reached for it.

"Nah, I got you!" He replied with his smile while leaning against her "Besides, sometimes I like to use my leg as it is. Keeps me from depending on the brace as much."

"I guess that makes sense." She replied, shaking her head at the reason.

The sky was clear, with no cloud in sight. Teton, Wasatch, and Windshear were all on the deck, soaking in the warm rays. The sight would have otherwise made Matt smile, but rather, it made him angry.

"How come you let them sleep in?" He demanded, turning to glare at her.

"They're the ones carrying us." She excused, smirking at him "They deserve a little rest."

"You really are making life harder for me, aren't you?" He growled, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, there you two are!" Ukiah called out, walking up to them from a ramp "I see you're finally up, Matt."

"I like to sleep!" He defended, glaring at Heather "But she's making it impossible to do anything like that."

"I'm always trying to make your life harder." She teased, quoting him "Just like how we met!"

"Speaking of which." Ukiah began to say "I was wondering if you two could tell me a little bit about yourselves. Since you two are the only ones I don't really know; yet the ones that have been the friendliest to me."

Matt and Heather looked at each other. Shrugging, Matt then said "Sure, we'd love to. But-"

"But what?" Ukiah asked, confused potential hindrance.

"We better involve the others. At least Hiccup and Astrid." Matt explained "In order to understand how we met, I need to tell you a secret that only Hiccup, Stoick, and the Dragon Riders know about; and I guess some of the villagers of Berk."

A little alarmed at the revelation, Ukiah asked "How big of a secret?"

"It's…thought provoking. One that we don't go about telling everyone." Heather replied, looking up at Matt. She remembered when he first told her how he became The Dragon Boarder, and how he got here to begin with. It actually put her into shock a little bit.

"Okay?" Ukiah replied a little warily. Raising an eyebrow, he then said "I'm a little confused, but will trust you two on this. Come on, I saw Hiccup and Astrid in her room."

"Wait, what did Astrid want to talk to you about last night?" Matt asked, limping alongside Heather "When did you two get back?"

"Later last night." Ukiah explained, walking alongside Matt "As far as what we talked about; Astrid…well, she forgave me. She wants me to stay here."

"That's great Ukiah!" Heather cried out ecstatically "We told you that we wanted you to stay with us!"

"And you know what, for the first time, I really believe you guys." He commented, looking at Heather with a thankful expression "I…I can't even say the words to show you how grateful I am."

"You don't need to say anything." Matt said aloud "You're actions are all you needed to do. We trust you Ukiah, and believe you."

"Thank you Matt." He whispered, looking at him in the eye.

"Which is why we're telling you his secret." Heather added, looking up at Matt "Trust is a coin. There's two sides to it."

"You do have me interested, I'll give you that." He admitted, shaking his head "I didn't think you had one, Matt."

"Well, it explains why Hiccup and I are close." Matt answered "And how I trained Wasatch."

Ukiah just nodded, now walking with purpose to Astrid's room.

Heather just looked at Matt with a wide smile, whispering "He's finally staying! He has a home!"

"All thanks to you." Matt replied, smiling down at her "Because you're a very caring person.

Heather blushed at the comment, not feeling like it was the truth.

As the trio arrived at Astrid's room, Ukiah knocked on the door, saying "Astrid? Hiccup? You guys still in here?"

"Ukiah! Come in!" Hiccup called out form inside.

"I've got two others with me! Matt and Heather!" Ukiah explained, opening the door to reveal both Hiccup and Astrid sitting on her bed.

"Matt! Heather!" Astrid cried out loud. Standing up, she ran to Heather and grabbed her in a tight hug "I never told you, but thank you! You were the reason why I lasted as long as I did!"

"Please Astrid, you would have done the same for me, or any of us." Heather replied, hugging her back "I'm just glad you're still alive."

"That being said, how are you feeling?" Matt asked, reaching up and gripping her arm.

"I'm fine. I feel like my old self again." She answered, looking at Matt with a smile "I'm ready to pound your shoulder again!"

"Great. Maybe I liked it better when you were weak and sickly." Matt groaned, shaking his head in sadness.

Heather sent him a death glare, saying "Don't even say that! We were so close to losing her!"

"Do you realize how often I brush shoulders with death?" Matt quizzed, pushing the joke farther "I'm not counting the times I was either bleeding out or pulled out of the ocean; I'm talking about whenever she hits me! Every time my shoulder gets drilled, I swear I see the heavenly gates every time!"

Astrid laughed, seeing Heather get defensive about her, plus Matt's joke. "I'm fine Heather. It all ended well for us anyways."

"So, what are you guys up to today?" Hiccup asked, walking up to the group "Going for a ride?"

"Actually, I was going to tell Ukiah about…" Matt began to say "You know. My story."

Hiccup's smile slowly faded, making Ukiah wonder what Matt's secret was to begin with.

"Well, I guess sooner the better." Astrid replied, nodding in agreement "Come on, I have some chairs that we can all sit on.

"So, to be clear, this is to explain to Ukiah how Heather and I met. We're the only ones that he doesn't really know." Matt continued to explain.

"And I also want to know more about you two in general." Ukiah added, taking a seat on a lone chair. Hiccup and Astrid took their seats on her bed, while Matt moved his chair closer to Heather. When all five were sitting in something that resembled a circle, Ukiah then asked "How about you first Heather? Since Matt seems to have a big story."

"Sure, I guess that makes sense." She replied, letting out a huff of air. Looking up at the ceiling, she contemplated her story. "Well, to start. I was an orphan. Adopted by a family outside of the archipelago."

Ukiah just watched her, realizing that she wasn't sparing any details. Just from her tone, he could tell is was going to be a traumatic one.

"My adopted family loved and cared for me." She continued to say "For the longest time, I was content and didn't really think about my birth parents or island." Pulling out a horn from her pouch, she then explained "I have no memories of my birth mother. The only thing I had that reminded me of my birth father was this horn that he gave me; and the few memories I had of him. His rough, callused hands; and his gentle touch."

"Do you know what happened that, uh, made you an orphan?" Ukiah asked quietly, showing that he was being respectful.

"Dagur was the reason." She growled, her eyes narrowing with hate and anger.

"Who's Dagur?" Ukiah asked so he could understand the significance of the name.

Matt quickly scooted his chair next to her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. It was the only thing he could do to try and comfort her. "Dagur is her brother. He was working with Viggo and the Hunters before they betrayed him." He explained, knowing it was tough for her to even think about him. The sting of guilt hit him as he remembered the secret he was keeping from her; about Dagur saving Hiccup.

"He shipped me away when I was barely a toddler, tried to let the ocean take me." She whispered angrily "He killed my father and assumed the role as Chief of the Berserkers." Turning away from Ukiah, she growled "And destroyed them all. The Berserkers used to be a respected and feared tribe. But now Dagur sacrificed them all to chase after his stupid goals and dreams…"

"I'm sorry." Ukiah whispered, seeing how Heather came to be.

"But, while living with my adopted parents," She continued to say, trying the cover up the hurt feeling of talking about her memories and history "Alvin captured us while we were sailing to another island. We accidently sailed into Outcast waters."

Ukiah just nodded, seeing that her life was indeed an eventful one.

"He held them hostage against me to get him something." She whispered, looking down at the floor.

"Hey, not your fault." Matt replied gently, smiling as he lifted her chin up "You did it because you had too."

"Do what?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I…I befriended and betrayed Hiccup and Astrid. Plus everyone else." Heather answered, looking up at the two with sorrow "I stole the Dragon Book and tried to bring it to Alvin, so that he could train dragons himself. And to get my parents back."

Matt put on a sheepish smile, still holding her with his arm. He knew how much she beat herself up for her past choices, and was trying to show her that it didn't matter. Not any more at least. He silently noted to himself that she was often quick to forgive; except herself.

"In the end, Hiccup and the group saw through my guise and captured me; but Alvin still got the book." She whispered "I felt so bad when I realized they would have helped me get my parents back."

"But!" Astrid cut in, making everyone turn to her "She was the reason we were all able to get the book back." Looking at Ukiah, she explained "I disguised myself as Heather and went to Outcast Island. Tricked Alvin to giving me the Dragon Book, but…heh, got captured myself."

"Alvin then used her to capture all of us." Hiccup then said, taking over the story "Ambushed us and we would have lost too. If not for Heather!"

Heather just smiled sheepishly, not really feeling worthy of a compliment.

"In the end, we got the Dragon Book back and saved Heather's parents." Hiccup continued to say "Plus it began a unique friendship with Heather after that."

"Unique is a good way to describe that." Heather whispered, rolling her eyes at the comment.

"How so? Did you stay with them? Is that when you learned how to train Windshear?" Ukiah asked, looking at her with sincere interest.

"No. I left them with my parents. We didn't see each other for a few years actually." She explained "You see, Dagur was imprisoned by the Outcasts, since he tried to kill Alvin. He escaped a few years later, and began to pillage and raid islands and villages to increase his troops and fleet."

Ukiah just listened intently, not wanting to miss anything.

"One of his raids included my village." She whispered, her eyes filling up with tears "My…parents, were killed. I lost my family to that maniac a second time…"

Ukiah just stared at her in horror, not believing she suffered the same fate twice! Not only that, but survived!

Matt gently squeezed her, silently telling her that he was sorry about it too.

"I tried to hunt him down, and found Windshear while I was." She explained quietly "She was injured by a Typhoomerang and I nursed her back to health. I used what I learned from Hiccup and the others, and we've become inseparable ever since."

"So how did you meet back up with Hiccup and Astrid?" Ukiah asked, trying to put the story together.

"Well, I was raiding fishing and trading ships." She admitted sheepishly "For information about Dagur, and to supply other villages that were hit by him and his men." Looking at Hiccup and Astrid in embarrassment, she explained "I hit one of Berks ships, which caused them to look for the raider that stole their supplies."

"I got this Heather." Hiccup said, taking over. Looking at Ukiah, he explained "When we learned who it was, we took her here. That horn that was given to her by her dad, was actually a gift from my dad to hers. A gift from one chief to another."

"Wait…" Ukiah said aloud, turning to Heather "Your dad was a chief?"

Heather nodded, saying "I had no idea who he was, until Hiccup figured out that Oswald the Agreeable was my birth father. The same father as Dagur's." Looking away in anger, she then growled "That's how I learned we were related! I'm a sister to a psychopath and murderer!"

Matt and Hiccup looked up at each other. Matt couldn't help but think of what happened to Hiccup, and how Dagur saved him. Hiccup discreetly shook his head, signaling not to talk about it.

"The news was a shock to me. I left Hiccup and Astrid, trying to find answers for myself. This is where I made the worst mistake of my life." She whispered hoarsely.

"It wasn't that bad. You got to meet me." Matt replied, flashing a calming smile at her.

"Heh, I guess that's true." She whispered, letting a small smile crack at the corner of her mouth.

"So what happened?" Ukiah asked, bringing the story back on track.

"I…I longed to be part of a family." She admitted "And I joined Dagur and his men."

"As a raider?" He asked, shocked at hearing the confession.

"As a Berserker." She whispered, looking down in shame.

"But, as said earlier, that's where we met." Matt spoke up "And before we go further into that, I'll tell you my story of how I met Hiccup."

Ukiah shifted his attention to Matt, staring intently at him.

"Now Ukiah, before I tell you my story, I need to ask…" He began to say "Do you believe I'm honest with you? And that I will always tell you the truth?"

"Of course! Why would I think otherwise?" He asked, shocked at the question "Should I think otherwise?"

"No, you don't need to doubt that. I ask because Heather didn't believe my story for the longest time." Matt explained "My story is something that I guarantee you never heard before, or something you could expect.

Ukiah just stared at him, unsure of how to respond.

"Ukiah." Hiccup said aloud, making him turn to face him "I promise, everything that Matt's going to say is true."

Ukiah just stared at Hiccup, doubly worried about the tale.

"You see Ukiah, I'm not from here." Matt began to explain "I'm from a place called Utah."

"Utah? Never heard of it. Where's that?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matt let out a sigh as he turned to Heather. Seeing her nod, he then looked at Ukiah in the eyes and used his signature way to explain it "About five thousand miles from here. And about one thousand years in the future."

Ukiah gaped at him. "The future? How- what-"

"I promise I'm telling the truth." Matt interrupted the stuttering. Continuing his story, he then explained "My name is Matthew Haddock. And yes, I'm related to Hiccup. I'm technically his something great grandson."

Ukiah continued to gape at Matt. Glancing at Hiccup and Astrid, he saw them nod at him.

"I know it doesn't make sense, but hear me out." Matt said aloud "Back where I'm from, I was what you call a snowboarder. You've seen me ride my dragons by standing on them; snowboarding gave me the idea to ride like that, since it's where you ride on a board down a mountain side. Kind of like sledding."

Ukiah nodded very shallowly, since he looked like he was in a daze.

"I don't know how or why, but three years ago, I was snowboarding and got lost in a blizzard." Matt continued to explain "Took shelter in a cave. Now this is the part I still don't understand. The cave led me to Berk."

Staring at Matt with a blank look, Ukiah simply shook his head, whispering "I know you said you're being honest and truthful with me, but none of that makes any sense!"

"I know, that's why I said I still don't get it." Matt agreed, furrowing his eyebrows in contemplation "But I promise, that's how I got here. It's the same way Darien got here."

"Wait, is that why you said you know her?" He asked, looking at him in surprise "She's from where you came from?"

Matt nodded shallowly, whispering "Partly. She came here as Dagur's and Heather's relative; similar to me and Hiccup." Looking at Heather, he then added "She also did some pretty horrible things to us. That's the main reason why we know her."

Ukiah just stared at him, looking as if he was finally collecting himself.

"So…are you alright? Do you need to take a second and have me tell you the rest of the story later?" Matt asked, looking at him with concern.

Ukiah simply shook his head, saying "No. It's a lot to think about, but you said you were going to be honest with me." Looking at Matt in the eye, he then also commented "And it actually makes a little bit of sense. You have different gear, clothes, and even the way you act. I knew something was off with you, but I couldn't figure it out."

"Well, now you can." Matt replied with a sheepish smile.

Ukiah just nodded, saying "I guess so. So you found Berk, what happened then?"

"Right, so when I came out of the cave, it closed behind me and I couldn't go back; even if I wanted to. So I began to board down Berk's central mountain." Matt continued to say "As I boarded down, I was able to meet both Hiccup and Astrid; with their dragons, Toothless and Stormfly."

"Ah, I remember that!" Astrid teased, smirking at him "That was actually kind of fun chasing you."

"Right, so to explain, I've never seen dragons before." Matt began to expound "And so when I saw Toothless and Stormfly behind me, I kind of panicked. In an effort to get away, I tried to jump a gully. Well, canyon actually." Looking at Hiccup and Astrid, he smiled sheepishly "I didn't make it. And after falling down, I passed out."

"Astrid and I took him to my house so he could recover." Hiccup then explained, smiling at Ukiah "That's where we-"

"Wait, hold on." Ukiah interrupted. Looking at Hiccup, he asked "When did this happen? I mean, how long after…you know. After I left to chase Strogg."

Hiccup looked at Ukiah with a saddened expression, saying "About a couple of months after you, uh, left us."

Ukiah just nodded, as if pondering something in his head.

"Anyways, when I woke up, that was where we learned we were related." Matt continued to say "Hiccup and the others took me under their wing and taught me how to ride a dragon!"

"Your dragon, Wasatch." Ukiah guessed, looking at Matt intensely.

Matt shook his head, saying "Hiccup didn't help me train Wasatch. Alvin the Treacherous did."

"Wait, Alvin? How did he help you?" Ukiah began to ask, only to be stopped.

"Alvin came here to steal the Dragon Book." Matt explained "I guess this happened after failing to use Heather to get it for him." Smiling at Heather, he then said "Hiccup and I made some fake copies of the Dragon Book; in the end, Hiccup got captured by Alvin."

"Again." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes at the thought "Never saw where they were hidden. Ended up getting hit by some bolas."

"So in exchange for Hiccup and Toothless, I offered Alvin one of the fake Dragon Book's." Matt explained "One thing led to another, and Hiccup and Toothless were freed. As for myself however, I was captured while trying to get away."

Heather then wrapped her arm around him, knowing the next part of the story and felt it was her turn to try and support him.

"I was held hostage for the Dragon Book, though Alvin never intended to release me. At least alive." He continued to say "He threw me in his arena with a wild Skrill."

"Wasatch…" Ukiah answered, staring at Matt with a serious look.

"Nailed it. Wasatch was supposed to be my executor, and was about to succeed too." Matt expounded, smiling at the thought "But I accidently figured out how to calm him down, which helped me train him to be my dragon." Looking at Hiccup, he smiled as he said "In short, when I trained Wasatch, Alvin wasn't too happy, but there was nothing he could do. So he left me and Wasatch locked in the arena. That's where Hiccup and the others busted me out."

"We were about to make a clean get-a-way." Astrid spoke up, taking control of the story "But Alvin knocked Snotlout off Hookfang and basically took control of him right there." Rubbing the back of her head, she admitted "He learned that from me. When I was posing as Heather."

"Wait, Alvin rode Hookfang?!" Ukiah gasped, staring at Astrid in shock.

"Well enough to chase us." Hiccup confirmed, nodding in acknowledgement.

"We couldn't leave Hookfang with Alvin, so we had to get creative to get him off." Matt continued to say "So Wasatch and I led him out over the ocean. And you know how I ride, right?"

"Yeah, like uh, snowboarding? Did I say that right?" Ukiah simply replied.

"Nailed it. So I let Alvin get right behind me as I climbed straight up in the air." Matt continued to say, reliving the scene that ended up changing his life forever "With Alvin right behind and under me, I released my bindings and fell backwards."

Ukiah stared at Matt, not saying anything to interrupt him.

"I fell right into Alvin, planting both my feet into his chest." Matt explained, closing his eyes "I got him off Hookfang, and as I tried to separate from him midair, he grabbed this leg" At that, he patted his injured leg "and slashed a sword across it. He got me so deep that it got the bone. It's never really healed since."

"That's why you limp." Ukiah whispered, connecting the story together with his leg.

"Exactly." Matt whispered, looking down at the leg with sadness "I'd do it again to save Hiccup or anyone else, but that's exactly why I limp." Looking up at Ukiah with misting eyes and a smile, he explained "When I woke up, we found out the cave was open and I ended up going home. That was…three, almost four years ago. Crap, times flying."

Ukiah just stared at him, digesting the story.

"I never wanted to forget what happened to me. Or what I did here." He replied, smiling at Ukiah. Turning around to show him his back, since he still never put a shirt on, he showed Ukiah the Skrill tattoo on his shoulder "This was what I did to help me not forget. Unfortunately, I also kept a journal that talked about the cave and about Hiccup and the others."

Heather then looked at Matt with a worried look, knowing how fired up he could get talking about Darien.

"Fast forward to a couple of months ago. Heh, actually almost a year ago." Matt whispered, shaking his head in disbelief "Can't believe it's been that long." Looking at Heather with a smile, he explained "I was able to come back. Unfortunately, my original purpose to come back was to warn Hiccup about someone who stole that same journal. Who come to find out, was Darien."

Ukiah just nodded, understanding the connection.

"But before Darien even came here, I tried to find Hiccup and Astrid, who left on a small expedition." He expounded "And when I finally found them, they were tied up in a cage, on a ship, ready to head out."

Heather looked down, embarrassed at what she did to them.

"And if you couldn't tell, this is where I met Heather." Matt said, looking down and smiling at her "She was the one that captured them."

Ukiah just nodded, not saying anything.

Heather, seeing that he was quite, looked up at him and asked "Don't you have any questions? About me working with Dagur? Me turning against Hiccup and Astrid a second time?"

Ukiah simply shook his head, saying "Not really. You're talking to guy who also betrayed Hiccup and Astrid too. Almost killed them." Looking at her with a small smile, he added "It's not who you are. I of all people understand that."

Heather just stared at him as she realized that he could relate to her better than anyone. Alone, no home, made a few mistakes, and trying to come back to where he was accepted.

"Yeah, well. I stopped the ships from sailing away by blockading the bay they were in." Matt continued to say "Got captured with them."

"We then told a lie to Dagur and Heather." Hiccup jumped in "We made them think we were looking for a treasure called the Wasatch."

"But…that's your Skrill. Right?" Ukiah asked, confused at the tale.

"It was. But that wasn't what Heather was expecting." Matt replied while smirking at her "Wasatch and I flipped the tables on her and Windshear, to which we locked them in a cave and left them there."

"What?!" Ukiah cried out, staring at him in disbelief. Glancing back and forth between the two, he hesitantly asked "Aren't…you two…in a relationship?"

Matt laughed out loud, to which Heather also let an embarrassed smile grow on her red face. "Well, not when we first met. We were literally at each other's throats with axes and knives." She quickly explained, looking up with her sheepish smile "But, before he sealed me in the cave, he made me think of who I really want to be with." Looking at Hiccup and Astrid, she whispered "I wanted to be with them."

"Which turned out to be one of the best things to happen to us. And me." Matt replied, lightly pushing her in her seat "After a long adventure of course."

Ukiah just nodded, now understanding his friends a little more; even though he was having a harder time accepting Matt's. Shifting in his seat, he simply looked down and pondered it.

"Ukiah." Matt said, his smile slowly leaving his face "I know my...origin, isn't really believable. I can barely come to terms with it, and I'm the one that's experiencing it." Leaning forward on his knees as he leaned forward, he simply whispered "But it's the truth. And I'll only tell you the truth."

Ukiah slowly nodded, knowing Matt was being honest with him. It was still hard to accept though. "I'll go with it for now, but it's going to take some time."

"It took me a bit to understand too." Heather chimed in "I was lucky and had Astrid help calm some questions I had about it." Looking at Matt, she smiled as she admitted "I didn't believe him for a couple of weeks after he told me."

"At least now I know why you and Hiccup are so close." He added, looking up at Hiccup with a small smile "I can't believe you two are actually related."

"Yeah, though I don't really view him as my grandson." Hiccup replied, laughing at the thought "We definitely act more like brothers."

"I'll let you guess who the older, tougher one is." Matt teased, smirking at Hiccup.

Shaking his head, Ukiah just smiled. It all made sense! Why they acted like they did with each other! They were literally blood related; though how they were related was still making his head spin.

"So didn't you say you had some information about the Hunters?" Astrid asked, reaching and grabbing her battle axe. Silently relishing in being healthy enough to grip it, she just let a satisfied smile grow on her face as she began to sharpen it.

"I did." He answered, sitting up straight in his chair. Looking at Hiccup, he asked "What did Matt and Heather tell you guy's so far?"

"Only that you've been spying on the Hunters; and that you gave him a list of their leaders and lieutenants, plus a couple of islands they're using as ports." Hiccup replied with a shrug "Not much else."

"Ok, so they've been busy with one specific dragon trafficking route. Especially of late." Ukiah began to explain "They use a smaller island as some sort of meeting spot, where they meet other ships and send them to various locations."

"Sounds like a distribution center." Matt commented, leaning back on his chair. Receiving a few quizzical stares, he simply explained "It's a place where you send items and products to one central location, and then they get sent to where ever they need to go. It helps make delivering goods more efficient."

"Any idea where they were sending those dragons to?" Hiccup asked, staring at Ukiah intently.

Shaking his head, he simply replied "I didn't have enough time to follow all their ships. All I know, is that at one point or another, one of those leaders on that list goes to this island to pick up or deliver dragons. Viggo and Ryker included."

"Which mean's Darien probably goes there too." Heather added, looking at Matt with resolve.

"But given that we ran into Viggo yesterday, I'm sure he's going to be a lot more cautious with us now." Hiccup said aloud, resting his hand on his chin. In deep thought, he then asked "How well guarded is it?"

"It's not. It's like a drop off point." Ukiah answered "Hunter's come, Hunter's go. They leave the dragons in cages and cells in the island for another ship, or ships, to come and pick them up. Usually a day or so later." Rubbing the back of his head, he added "I walked that island like I owned it. I just didn't want to release the dragons until the right moment."

"No, you did a good thing." Matt replied, setting all four of his chair's legs down. Looking at Hiccup, he explained "If Ukiah would have released them, they would have abandoned the island and used a different one. We can use this to hit them hard and when it counts!"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking." Hiccup agreed, nodding his head as a plan began to form in his head. Looking up at Ukiah, he then said "Tomorrow morning, you're going to take me and Snotlout there. I think the three of us can do what we need to."

Ukiah nodded, glad to be included in Hiccup's plan.

"While we do what exactly?" Astrid began to asked, scraping a rock across her axe's blade.

"Stay here. We'll make short work of it and then come back." He explained "Matt's been through Helheim and back, you almost died yesterday, and Heather won't survive another scare. Besides. I need you guys to watch the twins and make sure they don't burn down the Edge."

"I thought you wanted to hit them when it counted?" Matt asked, confused as to why he wasn't going.

"I plan on using this as a diversion." Hiccup explained "I have a feeling we'll be able to learn about their movements and schedules from this raid. If we make it look like we just took out that base, we may be able to catch them flat footed on bigger operations; maybe even get the jump on Viggo himself."

"Actually, that sounds good to me." Heather announced, looking at Matt "Maybe for once we'll have a mission go according to plan. And you don't have to almost die!"

"Never say never." Matt huffed, rolling his eyes. Shaking his head, he then glared at Hiccup while saying "I'll agree. But so help me if something happens to you three!"

"Heh, Matt. Please. At least one of our plans has to work!" Hiccup laughed, smiling at him. Turning to Ukiah, he then asked "Are you willing to fly with us Ukiah?"

Letting a confident smile grow on his face, the young hunter just nodded, saying "Hiccup, I was dreaming of the moment you'd ask me that again."

* * *

 **There you go! Hope you guys liked it! I'm trying to finish this story near the release of the next season of RTTE, which if the pattern holds true, it'll be sometime in December. Again, thanks for the support!**


	7. Chapter 7: Severe Backlash

**Chapter Seven: Severe Backlash**

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, Viggo?" Darien asked, pulling him up onto his feet.

"Quite alright, Darien." He huffed, standing up on the deck of her ship. For the last couple of days, he and Ryker, plus a few other men were stranded on the remnants of his ship that was sunk by the raging Buffalord. Hiccup played him, and he played him well. Shaking his head as he tried to press the excess water off of himself, he growled "Hiccup was clever on that one. I certainly underestimated him."

"How about you, Ryker? Got all your limbs?" Dairen then asked, turning to see Ryker stand up as well.

"Worry about yerself." He growled, following his brother in regards to trying to dry himself off.

Darien ignored the gruff response. It was how Ryker usually acted to anyone except Viggo, and she knew she wasn't anything special to him.

"How did you know where to find us?" Viggo asked, looking at Darien with a mixed expression of confusion and pride.

Darien just smiled at him as she pulled something out of her messenger bag. Flashing the Dragon Eye at him, she then said "After you never came back from your trip, I knew something was wrong. I remembered what you said about you and Ryker looking for a Buffalord. The Dragon Eye still had the directions to the island and, lo and behold, I found you."

"Impressive Darien. Well done." Viggo complimented, silently thanking the Gods that he kept her as one of his lieutenants. After Dagur betrayed him and the Hunters, he was contemplating getting rid of her, but that thought was quickly ruled out after she let Banshee help him unlock the Dragon Eye.

"How did Hiccup sink your ship?" She asked, grabbing towels from one her men and handing them to Ryker and Viggo.

"Hiccup didn't sink our ship. Not directly." Viggo growled, wiping his face with the towel "He let us take the Buffalord if we spared one of his friends. Astrid. Thought it was an easy win and we locked the Buffalord up. No sooner had we done that, the gentle giant set fire to our ship and broke free." Gripping the towel in anger, he then whispered "Turns out the Dragon Eye didn't tell us about how ferocious they can get."

"Well, ready to go get it back?" She asked, looking at the island in the distance "Shouldn't be too hard with Banshee."

"No, not right now." Viggo growled "I'm too far delayed to go back for it. I need to prepare for Hiccup and his Riders. I assume they'll try to strike at us soon."

"Very well. Captain!" Darien shouted, turning to a man standing and waiting for orders "Set sail for our home base!"

"Aye, Darien!" The captain shouted back as he began to issue orders "You heard her! Set the sails!"

"Thank you Darien." Viggo huffed, handing the wet towel to a random Hunter "You're the best decision I've ever made; making you one of my chief lieutenants."

"Heh, glad I didn't disappoint." She replied, flashing her cocky smile at him. The nineteen-year old Utahan now had her sand blonde hair braided in a ponytail, now going past her shoulders. Her armor was upgraded from the leather vest to a thick black dragon hide tunic, with grey dragon hide pants. She had Hunter metal plates run down her right shoulder to her forearm. She also wore a messenger styled bag around her as well, carrying whatever she needed at any given time. Strapped to her back was a Hunter styled sword, similar to how Viggo carried his. Ryker, though reluctantly, had been given her lessons on how to use it, which she grew to be quite adept with.

Banshee gently walked into her, pushing his head into her leg. He cooed gently as Darien quickly turned around and began to scratch his head. There, quite visible to everyone, was her hand with a missing finger. "Ahh…you needing some love Bansh?" She asked, kneeling down to stroke his head.

"How was the delivery to Ivar?" Viggo asked, watching the two continue to bond with each other.

"Uneventful, and I stayed a day to collect the earnings we agreed too." She replied, looking up at him with a smile "It's in a chest in my cabin."

"A good haul then?" Ryker asked, smiling at the subject of money.

"Indeed. Every fight seemed to bring in at least a hundred gold coins." She answered "Though I'm kind of worried that it's going too short lived. That Triple Stryke is ruthless. I don't know how many dragons are going to be able to keep fighting it."

"That's something we won't have to worry about. That's all on Ivar." Viggo replied, smiling at her. Turning to Ryker, who had thrown his towel at the Hunter, he then asked "Ryker, after we get back, can you go collect our next earnings from Ivar? And see what kind of dragons he needs."

"Sure I can." He replied with beaming eyes. The subject of money quickly changed his attitude "Be nice to see some dragons slit each other's throats."

"Darien, I need to talk to you about what I plan to do with our potential client that we'll be hosting in a while, as well as the dragon auction we're planning." He began to say, walking towards the upper cabin of the ship.

"Of course, Banshee and I are more than willing to help." Darien quickly replied, standing up and following him "But can I ask you something Viggo?"

Turning to her, he raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. Nodding, he simply waited for her question.

"When are you going to let me fly against Hiccup and the others? I've been training every day! Practicing maneuvers, fighting wild dragons, and even letting my men shoot at me with their arrows!" She began to say "I want to bring them down! I want to start making my family's line a legacy! I know that if I was with you and Ryker, you would have had a different outcome!"

Viggo just smiled. Gently shaking his head, he wrapped his arm around her and began to walk her to the cabin. "Darien, you certainly have a fire inside you. As much I'd like you too, and as capable as you are; I don't want to use you and Banshee just yet."

"But why?! We can sail and take them down at their fort right now!" She urged "We have the men, and the ships! Plus, you have me to fight them in the sky!" Stepping in front of Viggo with excitement in her eyes, she exclaimed "Imagine if I can take down Hiccup before they even get a chance to regroup! We could finish them before they even knew what hit them!"

Viggo simply chuckled. Patting her on the head, he began to say "Darien, Darien, Darien…remember that there's more than meets the eye with these Riders." Walking past her, he then said aloud "Our purpose isn't destroying them, or playing with them; it's using them. If we let them continue to do their own thing, we'll be able to let them think they're at war with us; when in reality, they're our puppets." Disappearing into the cabin, he shouted "Come Darien! We have much to discuss regarding our dragon auction. Specifically the security."

Darien just huffed, shaking her head angrily. Seeing that Ryker was standing right next to her, she asked "Does he drive you crazy sometimes?"

"Aye that he does." Ryker replied, nodding his head in agreement "I for one, agree with yeh. I want to take out those Riders as brutally as possible. 'Specially that brat, Matt."

"Heh, I'll trade you. You can have Hiccup; I'll take Matt." She whispered, walking with him to the upper deck "If I'm the Deranged that will end one of those Haddocks, might as well be the one from my world."

* * *

"The island should be just ahead." Ukiah shouted, letting Arrow glide in between Snotlout and Hiccup.

"Hey! I see it!" Snotlout shouted, pointing ahead.

Sure enough, out of the light fog, the island's silhouette began to come into view. The island looked like a lone mountain peak protruding from the ocean, creating a sinister look to it. Multiple rock clusters were all positioned around it, adding to the dark feeling.

"They sure picked the right island to hide their operations." Hiccup commented "From a distance, it only looks like a giant rock. With nothing to offer for any sort of base or protection."

"It's not a base. It's a supply depot." Ukiah explained "They used existing caves and caverns as cells, putting iron bars in for doors. Other than that, it's pretty empty and bleak."

"Alright, let's move in cautiously. For all we know, they may be waiting for us." Hiccup announced, letting Toothless start to lead the other two.

"Hiccup, Hiccup…" Snotlout called out, shaking his head with a smirk "This is the easiest mission ever! We fly in, blast the cages, let the dragons free, take down any Hunters that may be there, and then be home in time for lunch! Boom!"

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but-"

"Come on Hookfang! We don't want to keep Heather waiting for us!" Snotlout yelled, surging ahead of the Hiccup and Ukiah.

"He really hasn't changed at all, has he?" Ukiah asked, watching Snotlout fly ahead.

Hiccup just sighed while shaking his head "I don't know what I'm going to do with him. Come on, we better make sure he doesn't fall into a trap."

Ukiah also shook his head, letting Arrow follow close behind Toothless.

The three flew under a rock arch and around a massive broken off boulder on the shoreline, covering their arrival. Ukiah smoothly dismounted from Arrow, grabbing his crossbow in one motion. Jogging next to a dead tree, he peered over it to see if there were any guards.

"See anything?" Hiccup asked, kneeling next to him.

"Just empty cages and a few crates." He answered "No dragons or Hunters."

Hiccup peeked around Ukiah, seeing what he saw. "It's completely abandoned." He whispered, stepping out from their cover and walking to where the cages were littered around the area.

"What? You mean they took all the dragons before we could get here?" Snotlout whined, following Hiccup angrily.

"No. We still have caves and cells to check out. Besides, last I checked, there were two ships here. They would have left some dragons." Ukiah quickly added, also following Hiccup but keeping his crossbow ready to fire. Turning to Arrow, he then said "Stay here friend. Watch our backs."

Arrow growled, acknowledging the order and then staying low to keep himself from being spotted.

"Toothless, you come with me." Hiccup ordered, seeing a large cave ahead.

"Heh, come on Hookster, let's make sure Hiccup doesn't lose his other leg." Snotlout teased, smirking at Hiccup.

Hiccup just rolled his eyes as he kept on walking into the cave. As he kept on going, he then suggested "Maybe they abandoned this place when we confronted Viggo again. Maybe he's consolidating his forces and operations."

"I wouldn't put it past him. But why stop something crucial to his dragon trafficking? Wouldn't it have been better to just reinforce it?" Ukiah asked as he quickly jogged past Snotlout and to Hiccup, keeping his crossbow raised as they entered the cave. As soon as they stepped inside, he instantly froze.

"What? See something?" Hiccup asked, whispering quietly.

"Kind of." He replied, kneeling down brushing the ground. Touching the dirt, he then explained "Someone was here recently. The dirt is brushed around, like something was moved through here." Looking up ahead, he whispered "Something's not right-"

"Rraoooggrrr!" A dragon roared from inside the cave, making Snotlout jump.

"I guess they left at least one dragon here." Ukiah whispered, taking the lead. Slinging his crossbow over his back, he drew his dagger; the Gronckle Iron one that Hiccup gave him a few months ago.

"Come on Snotlout, let's check it out." Hiccup called out, following Ukiah closely. Toothless was right behind him, eyeing the cave warily.

"Heh, you know what? I think we've seen this place too much already!" Snotlout replied, reluctantly following them.

Ukiah stopped a second time, looking down the cave ahead. "Hmm, odd." He whispered, staring down the pathway curiously.

"What? What's odd?" Hiccup asked, trying to see what Ukiah was seeing.

"If they abandoned this place, why'd they carve stairs out of the rock?" He asked, pointing at the roughly carved stairs "Last time I was here, it was just a small trail that weaved between massive rocks. They cleaned this place up."

"At this point, I think it's safe to say they're not abandoning it." Hiccup commented "We're seeing to many signs that it's still being used."

"Rrraooohh!" The unknown dragon called out again, echoing loudly in the cave.

"Well I guess one way to find out." Ukiah huffed, walking ahead and checking the corners behind rocks and crevices.

The two and Toothless continued to press on, with Snotlout complaining that they should turn back. Hookfang was growing tired of his rider's whining, to which he simply bit Snotlout's tunic and lifted him up, carrying him as they walked deeper into the cave.

"Let me down!" Snotlout shouted, trying to hit his dragon "Hookfang!"

"Whoa." Hiccup called out, walking into a large cavern like room. Iron bars covered smaller caves, indicating that they were the cells Ukiah was talking about.

"This looks familiar." Ukiah replied, walking towards one of the cells "A Deadly Nadder was in here last time I checked it out. I kind of wished I let it go. All of them actually. Since it's obvious they're not using this place like they were."

"I know you're beating yourself up Ukiah, but you did what you thought was best." Hiccup replied, letting a small smile grow on his face "Trust me, it's easy to second guess yourself after the fact has taken place."

"I guess." Ukiah replied, walking to another cage "Still doesn't make it easier to live with."

Hiccup just shook his head, knowing Ukiah still had some issues. Not issues with him or the rest of the gang, but with himself.

"So where was that roar coming from?" Snotlout asked, looking around nervously.

"Here." Ukiah called out, stopping in front of another cell.

Hiccup and Snotlout ran to the cell, and were completely surprised when they saw a Speed Stinger growling at them.

"Great." Hiccup whispered "Well, at least we can stop them from selling this guy."

"He's not the only one. Look." Ukiah pointed out, gesturing to the other cages behind them.

Hiccup and Snotlout turned around to see the other cells with other Speed Stingers.

"They must have gotten an entire pack." Hiccup observed, walking to one of the cells with Ukiah close alongside.

"Hiccup! Question, question, question!" Snotlout cried, looking behind them and seeing another Speed Stinger locked in a cage and eyeing them dangerously "How are we going to free these vicious and wild dragons without, oh, I don't know, getting eating alive?!"

"There's gotta be a switch or release somewhere." Hiccup replied, unconcerned with Snotlout's cry. At that he began to walk to the end of the cavern with Toothless close behind, looking for anything that would help them let the dragons out "If anything, we'll sit and wait 'em out."

Ukiah quickly jogged to where he was heading, saying "Hold on, I think I remember something over here."

Snotlout just glared at the trio as they ran to check out the end of the cave. Shaking his head angrily, something caught his eye. A single lever on the wall! Smiling, he called out "Found something!"

All three turned around to see Snotlout walking to the lever. No sooner had they seen it, Snotlout quickly pushed down on it.

A loud cranking sound echoed in the cave. Ukiah and Hiccup watched in horror as a large metal gate shut down right behind them. Toothless roared as he rammed himself into the gate, trying to break it open. Ukiah and Hiccup both ran to the gate.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup angrily shouted, glaring at him and pounding the gate as if to make it open.

"Why'd I agree to let you come with us?" Ukiah growled, also sending Snotlout a death glare. Trying to lift on the gate, he knew it was pointless to try and break it.

Before Snotlout could reply, a loud roar sounded from behind him. Whirling around, he saw Arrow glide right over him and Hookfang. Stopping at the gate, he tried to bite the bars and bend them for Ukiah. Toothless also roared, doing the same and trying work with the Sand Wraith.

"Give it up, Arrow." Ukiah growled, knowing full well it was useless. Arrow reluctantly let go of the bars. His piercing green eyes stared at Ukiah, as if apologizing.

"Not to worry bud." Hiccup replied to the Sand Wraith with a small smile. Looking up at Snotlout, he shouted "Mind letting us out?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it!" He shouted, turning to the lever. Getting ready to lift it up, he muttered to himself "It's not like I can't just re-open it you know, don't need to yell…" In one jerk, he pulled the lever up just as fast as he pushed it down.

A clicking sounded under Hiccup, Ukiah, and Toothless. The three stared in shock and horror as purple gas began to spray into their new cell.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup shouted, coughing as he inhaled a large breath of the gas.

"What is this stuff?" Ukiah yelled, hacking into his arm. Looking at Snotlout through the bars, he shouted "Open it up!"

"I can't! It's jammed!" Snotlout shouted, yanking furiously on the lever.

"Ok bud, time to go!" Hiccup coughed, looking at Toothless.

Toothless roared as he fired a plasma blast at the gate, to both Ukiah's and Hiccup's horror, it did nothing.

Arrow roared, slamming himself into the gate's bars. Biting them, he tried desperately to free his friends.

Both Ukiah and Hiccup began to lift on the gate together, in hopes to be able to open it that way. No sooner had they began to struggle opening it, Hiccup then slid down onto his knees.

"Hiccup…" Ukiah groaned weakly, dropping his dagger and falling onto his side.

"That's not good!" Snotlout shouted, running to the gate and trying to open it from his side.

"Go…" Hiccup coughed weakly, looking up at Snotlout with worry "Go get help!"

"Get out of here friend…" Ukiah also ordered, unable to get back onto his feet. Looking at Arrow through the gate and gas, he quietly added "Go help get the others…"

Arrow whinnied, pacing back and forth in front of the gate. Trying desperately to think of way to help Ukiah. Ukiah then went silent, laying still on his side.

"Go!" Hiccup shouted as loud as he could and struggling to stay up. Unable to fight the gas, he simply fell over, right next to Ukiah and Toothless.

Snotlout reluctantly backed off, seeing the gas getting closer to him. Turning around, he then sprinted out of the cave, with both Hookfang and Arrow following closely.

Arrow stopped just out of the reach of the gas. Letting out an angry and challenging roar to vent his frustration of leaving Ukiah and his friends behind, he then simply turned and continued to follow Snotlout.

* * *

"Come on! They were in here!" Snotlout shouted, running into the cavern.

All the other riders followed, being led by Astrid and Matt. Heather, Fishlegs, and the twins were right behind them. Everyone's hearts were racing ever since Snotlout came and told them the news. That Hiccup and Ukiah were locked in cell with some kind of gas. Toothless was with them as well!

"Right there…" Snotlout shouted, slowly running to a stop. Staring in horror, he shouted "No…no! They were right there!"

Astrid ran past Snotlout, looking down at the ground. Matt also followed, looking for anything that would hint where they were.

"There, there, little Snotlout." Tuffnut began to say, catching his breath from the running. Resting his hand on Snotlout's shoulder, he then said "I'm sure Stoick will forgive you for losing his one and only son."

"Who is also the Hero of Berk." Ruffnut chimed in, standing on the other side of Snotlout.

"Not helping!" Snotlout roared, glaring at the two angrily.

"Hey! Focus!" Astrid shouted, turning around and glaring at the three "We have to find them!"

Suddenly an angry growl sounded from behind the gang. Arrow then ran past Heather and Fishlegs, almost knocking them down. Stopping near Matt, he then began to sniff the ground as he growled at something.

"Hey, Arrow found something. What's this?" Matt asked, grabbing and holding a long object in his hand "It's…uh…slimy."

"Wait a second." Fishlegs said, walking up to Matt. Taking the object, he then said "Ah, it's a Sea Slug!"

"And? What's that got to do with this?!" Snotlout asked in a panicky voice.

"It means that the dragons were baited in here, and then gassed." Fishlegs replied, tossing the slug to Arrow, who promptly snapped it out of the air.

"But why knock them out? They were already captured." Astrid asked, trying to think of the reasoning.

"To keep the dragons pacified." Heather spoke up, walking up to Astrid "They're easier to transport that way."

"How do you know-" Matt began to ask, only to be cut off by Heather

"I worked for Dagur for a bit, remember? I was his chief dragon handler. We had to do some things to keep the dragons from raging when we were moving them around. Hence, why Viggo and Ryker use those dragon root arrows." She explained. Gesturing to the cells, she commented "This was built entirely in mind to make moving dragons easier!"

"Which means this is a distribution center." Matt whispered, turning away and staring at where Arrow was still sniffing.

"Which also means Hiccup, Toothless, and Ukiah are being taken to Thor knows where?!" Snotlout shouted, a vein bulging in his neck "Oh...Stoick's going to kill me!"

"Do not fret! We'll find the missing Hiccup Haddock and one Toothless Night Fury!" Tuffnut cried out with a faked, heroic voice "Plus the vagabond Ukiah!"

Matt simply face palmed himself, knowing the twins were going to be up to their games again. "Slash my leg again." He groaned to himself, standing up and turning to the twins.

"That's right young Snotlout!" Ruffnut shouted, smiling happily at him "My brother and I are experts in the delicate and fine arts of detection."

"Oh this oughta be good." Matt huffed quietly to Heather, who simply shook her head in annoyance.

"Plus interrogation!" Tuffnut added.

"And infiltration!" Ruffnut threw in "Thorston and Thorston! Berk's best detectives!"

At that, the two twins began to scour the cave, with Tuffnut looking under Arrow. "Nope. Nothing under here." He announced, and then continued to crawl around on the ground.

"Very suspicious." Ruffnut began to say, scratching the back of her head as she scanned the cavern.

"Please tell me you have an idea?" Astrid groaned, walking up to Matt.

"Uh, actually I do." Heather said aloud, catching everyone's attention.

"Heather, please." Tuffnut began to say, butting in-between her and Matt "Hunters have taken our friends somewhere nefarious."

"I know. I'm sayin-" Heather tried to say, only to be cut off.

"Not now Heather. We're detecting." Tuffnut huffed "Now, to find where Hiccup Haddock and Toothless Night Fury have been taken, we need-"

"We need someone with inside knowledge of the Hunter ports. Like where their ports are, and major operations." Heather said aloud, clamping her hand over Tuffnut's mouth.

"How? Don't say you've been working with the Hunters as a secret double agent." Matt replied, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion.

"No. But Ukiah was spying on them for a while and gave us a list of their ports and leaders, remember?" She replied with her signature smirk. Pulling out the rolled up paper Ukiah gave her, she then said "We go to any one of these ports and we can then get the Hunters to tell us where they took them!"

"Heather! That's a great idea!" Astrid shouted, taking the paper and looking over the ports.

"This one would be the closest." Heather suggested pointing to one of the lines "We'll be there in the morning."

"Let's get going then. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get them back." Matt said aloud, turning to walk out. Heather quickly jogged to be alongside him, to which he said "Glad you studied that paper. We'd probably still be in the dark with what to do and where to go."

"Me too." Heather whispered, smiling at him "Come on, let's get our friends back!"

Astrid just stared at the paper, blindly following the others. The fret of Hiccup missing seemed to put her even more so on edge. "Hold on Hiccup, we're coming." She whispered, finally looking up from the list "I'm coming."

* * *

 **There you go! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying to update at a more frequent rate, but it depends on how fast I can finish and review the chapters I finish. Have a good one!**

 **-Dustnblood**


	8. Chapter 8: Set the Stage

**Chapter Eight: Set the Stage**

* * *

"Urgh…wha?" Hiccup groaned, slowly feeling himself wake up from the drowsy feeling that had overpowered his body. Groaning as he slowly sat up, he held his head to help try and wake up. The floor was hard, and everything was dark. It looked like a cell, but different from the one he was knocked out in. Where was he? Wait, where was Toothless?! "Agh! Toothless!" He shouted, promptly rolling to his feet.

Hearing a mumbled growling right next to him. Whirling around, he let out a sigh of relief. There, laying down right next to him, was Toothless, who was starting to wake up as well. "Toothless!" He breathed out of relief, kneeling and resting his hand on his friend's head "I'm so glad you're alright." Looking over his friend, he saw that a hefty muzzle strapped around his mouth, and there was a massive chain cuffed to his left rear leg. Seeing the chain, Hiccup felt something heavy around his leg. Glancing down, he saw that he too was chained to the stone wall that made up their cell. Gripping it, he tested the shackle around his ankle. Of course it was made of the Hunter's dragon proof metal.

"Mmmmm…wh-where?" A voice began to moan in the darkness "Where am I? Arrow?"

Hiccup turned to see Ukiah laying on the ground on the other side of the cell. To his surprise he saw four other dragons in a similar predicament as him and Toothless. A Gronckle, a Deadly Nadder, a Monstrous Nightmare, and a Razorwhip! Just like Windshear, except with purple eyes instead of green. Shaking his head from the discovery, he then called out "Ukiah! Are you hurt?"

"Hiccup? Uh, no. I don't think so." He groaned, sitting up. Rubbing his eyes to help wake himself up, he quickly glanced around the cave "Wait, this isn't the same cave we were in, is it?"

"Look at your leg." Hiccup answered out loud, seeing that he too was shackled to the wall "I have no idea where we're at."

Ukiah glanced at his ankle and saw what Hiccup was pointing out. His right leg was chained to the wall, and he also quickly found out he was disarmed; dagger, crossbow, even bolts! All were gone and he was basically left with only his clothes. His eyes narrowing in anger, he instantly grabbed at the shackle and tried to pull it off. "To Helheim with the Hunters! When I get out of here, I'm going to kill every single one that I find!"

"I'm sure you will." Hiccup commented, not doubting the Crevite's threat. He witnessed Ukiah's ability to fight, and that was three years ago when they first brought him to Berk. Looking around their new room, Hiccup continued to say "But let's find out where we are first. 'K?"

"Ugh, yeah. Sure." Ukiah groaned as he rolled to his feet. Just noticing the dragons next to him, he yelped out loud as he quickly jumped back "Gah! Dragons?!"

"Yeah. Careful with that Razorwhip. Heather said the only way she trained Windshear was because she was already injured. I can't tell you what a wild, healthy one will do. Well, relatively healthy one." Hiccup replied, looking at the dragon.

"Great." Ukiah huffed, instantly using every length of chain he had to put himself as far from it as he could.

Suddenly, a roaring echo sounded from outside the cave, coming from a small window in a wooden gate. It sounded like cheering. Hiccup and Ukiah quickly ran to it, with Ukiah being forced to stop a couple of feet away due to the chain. Hiccup peered through the window, trying to see out of it.

"What do you see?" Ukiah asked, trying to angle himself to look out.

"A Speed Stinger!" Hiccup gasped, seeing it growl at something outside his view. Suddenly, just as he said those words, a long, thin tail struck the Speed Stinger, impaling it and sending it flying. The Speed Stinger dropped to the ground without another sound. Hiccup stared in horror at the dead dragon. What just did that?! He could see ring like seating around the pit. His heart sank as he saw a few people cheering. Dragon fighting! They were in a dragon fighting arena!

"What happened?" Ukiah asked, hearing the cheering grow louder.

"We need to get out of here!" Hiccup replied in a panicked voice and looking at him with worry "We're in a dragon fighting pit! They're going to use-"

The door to their cell suddenly began to clink, as if being unlocked. Both Ukiah and Hiccup turned to see who it was, with Toothless growling the best he could with the muzzle. The door swung open, revealing two Hunters. Both were carrying short iron spears, which they used as walking sticks. The four wild Dragons instantly backed off, as if scared of them.

The lead Hunter slammed his spear down in front of the dragons, growling "That's right ya' smelly beasts. You know Ol' Ivar is in charge here."

"Hey boss. Look." The second Hunter "I didn't know we had prisoners in here. Are we having them fight each other?"

"Them? No. Though interesting idea." Ivar growled, smirking at Hiccup and Ukiah "They were with the Night Fury's trap when we grabbed it."

"Oh? Is that Hiccup?" The Hunter asked "I've heard about him. He's friends with dragons. Rides them even."

"Good." Ivar taunted, pointing his spear at Hiccup "Then maybe he'll be of some use me. Since we have a very special event planned for his dragon."

Hiccup curled his fists and Toothless' eyes narrowed in hate and anger.

"And the other? Who's he?" The Hunter asked, raising an eyebrow at Ukiah.

"Dunno. A friend probably." Ivar guessed, shrugging in an uncaring way "I'm keeping him as leverage for Hiccup. Or whatever his name is." Looking at Hiccup in the eye, he then smiled as he said "Think of it this way, mighty dragon rider. As long as you help me contain your dragon, I'll let you watch all the fights he's in." Then, gesturing to Ukiah, added "And if you don't, well, you lose both your Night Fury and your friend. Because if your dragon loses, or doesn't do what I need him to, then I have no reason to keep you two alive."

Hiccup and Ukiah just glared at Ivar, wishing they could wipe the smug smile on his face.

"Now, be good prisoners and don't touch that muzzle; unless you want to have an execution." Ivar growled, turning to walk out of the cell.

Watching him slam the door shut, Ukiah whispered coldly "He's the one I'm going to kill. I'll make sure of it."

"Forget about him, Ukiah. Right now let's focus on getting out of here!" Hiccup whispered back, looking frantically around.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, get ready!" Ivar's voice echoed throughout the arena.

Both Ukiah and Hiccup walked to the gate, with Ukiah being stopped a few feet short. Hiccup peered out, listening to the announcement.

"Tomorrow night, two new dragons enter the ring in a battle royale! Only one will leave victorious! Will it be…the Razorwhip?! Or…the Night Fury?!"

The crowd erupted into a frenzy, with the cheering sounding like a deafening roar. Hiccup's blood boiled in anger as he heard the crowd. The thought of getting enjoyment of watching two dragons kill each other infuriated him. He almost felt the same as Ukiah, wanting to kill those that lived for the sport. Almost.

"Well, Hiccup. Got any plans? Ideas at least?" Ukiah asked, looking at him with a resolute expression.

"No…I…I uh…" Hiccup stammered, shaking his head to get himself to think "I need a minute to think this through."

"I guess I'll try to think of something too." Ukiah whispered, walking to the stone wall opposite of Hiccup and Toothless. Sitting down against it, he stared blankly at the shackle around his ankle. The cold metal he was feeling seemed to fuel his anger and hate. Something that gave him mixed feelings. He enjoyed the calming, cold anger that ran through his blood, but that was also the reason for being banished. Sighing, he looked up to watch Hiccup try to comfort Toothless. "We'll get out of here Hiccup. We will." Watching Hiccup, he felt a different peace. Not the cold anger he felt, but a peaceful feeling. The feeling he got when he first woke up in Stoick's ship. When it was official that Hiccup and Astrid were his friends. He sent a prayer to Odin, thanking him for the reassuring feeling.

Then, slightly shaking his head, he began to think of something to be able to escape from their prison. Looking over at the Razorwhip, he let his mind drift into memories of Windshear, and Heather. The one that had fought to get him to come back to Hiccup and Astrid. Well, her and Matt. Recounting when he first met her, when he stopped Strogg from executing her. As he recalled the memory, something that Windshear did popped into his head. She fired her quills at him. And Heather used one of them as a weapon! An idea began to form in his mind, making him smile at the thought of being armed.

Hiccup, after trying to calm Toothless down, looked up to see Ukiah staring at the other dragons. Letting out a sigh, he simply stood up and walked over to them.

The Nightmare and Nadder instantly began growling at him. The Nightmare then flared up, letting fire cover itself. The Nadder had its tail bristle with its spines. The Razorwhip just ignored him, as it laid down and turned its head away from him.

Toothless stood up and growled at the threatening dragons, growling angrily back at them.

"Hey, back off bud." Hiccup quickly said, turning around and pushing Toothless back "They can't help it. They're starving, injured, and scared."

"Something we'll go through if we don't get out of here." Ukiah commented, watching Hiccup confront the dragons.

Seeing that the Gronckle wasn't aggressive, Hiccup then slowly walked towards it. "Hey buddy, how about you?"

Seeing him come closer, the Gronckle bared its teeth and growled angrily at him.

"Hmmm…" He sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Turning to Ukiah, he then said "I don't know how exactly we're going to get out, but these dragons are going to be key to it."

"I agree, and I might have something too." Ukiah replied, looking up at Hiccup "A little bit of a risk for myself, but hear me out on it."

Letting out another sigh, Hiccup looked out the window of the gate to see the sun was starting to rise, filling the room with a brilliant orange light. Toothless was going to be fighting as soon as the sun set; who was at a disadvantage being unable to fly. "Alright, hit me with it." He whispered, ready to hear his idea.

* * *

"There's the island." Heather shouted, pointing ahead and looking back at Astrid "Ukiah's notes don't say much about the island, but from the looks of it, it's probably a big trading port for them. Look, towers and catapults on both sides of the bay."

"So they'd know the where Hiccup, Ukiah, and Toothless were taken." Astrid replied with resolute face.

Matt couldn't help but notice the grim look on her face. Sighing, he coasted Wasatch closer to Stormfly, saying quietly, yet loud enough for her to hear "We'll find him Astrid. Hiccup and Toothless are too valuable to just kill."

"I know Matt, trust me, I know." She replied, looking at him with concern "I haven't doubted we'd find him; besides, I've resolved to not stop until we do. But I still can't help but think of him."

"Astrid, its Hiccup." Matt tried to console "Listen, he's been in positions worse than just missing, and he's almost always come out on top. Aside from that, Viggo's not the guys who's just going to kill him. You know that from your experience being his, uh, prisoner."

"Yeah, I do." She agreed quietly, still frowning at the thought "I just never thought-"

"That he'd what? Be the one missing? The one in need of help?" Matt tried to finish for her.

"No. He's needed us to save his neck a few times." Astrid replied, turning to look at him "It's just…this is the first time that it's really affected me. Usually I can just power through until we get what we need, and do what needed to be done. Now, I can't help but think of what he's going through."

Matt let a smile grow on his face, understanding why she was uneasy about the whole thing.

Scoffing, Astrid shook her head "Here I am, one of the toughest warriors Berk offers and I can't think straight because someone is missing."

"It's because you care about him, Astrid." Matt whispered, gently gliding closer to her "It's not a weakness. It's a human emotion. You're human and care about others; especially him."

"I guess, still doesn't help me think of what he's going through." She huffed, glaring at the island getting closer.

"They'll all be fine." Matt assured "Hiccup and Toothless are sought after by Viggo; and Ukiah's still a Rider, and that makes him valuable to them. Either in questioning, or ransoming." Looking ahead, he then said "Besides, even if they separated all three of them, it won't be hard to track them down. And we won't stop until we do get them back."

"I hope you're right about that." Astrid whispered, looking ahead. Shaking her head, she then commented "First it was me, and now it's Hiccup who's in danger. Will we ever get a break?" She growled angrily "We went months without an issue, and now it seems to be piling all at once."

"Hey, we take it a day at a time. That's all we can do." Matt replied back, flashing a comforting smile that seemed to be his signature reaction when anything went from bad to worse.

Astrid just nodded, looking at the ever approaching island. "Thanks, Matt." She whispered, letting a light smile grow on her face

Matt just nodded at her, not saying anything else about it. Turning to Heather, he shouted "Hey Heather, make sure Arrow doesn't get shot down or captured." Arrow had been flying alongside Windshear all the time they were traveling, though his look to kill hadn't gone away.

"You got it." Heather acknowledged. Since Ukiah's been missing, she took it her personal responsibility to take care of Arrow, who seemed to grow towards her rather well.

"Alright, let's do this!" Snotlout shouted, starting to see some individuals walking around the port.

"Everyone, split! Try to capture as many as we can; we want question them, not kill them! Teton! Follow me!" Matt shouted, pulling up his snowboard goggles. Focusing on one tower, he broke off from the group by guiding Wasatch into a roll. Completing the barrel roll, he then dove straight at it. Wasatch roared angrily, letting electricity radiate off his wings and back, highlighting his spikes with a blue glow around them. Teton was right behind him also screeching loudly. His eyes were white with anger, being his signature and most notable feature when he was about to get into a fight.

Using his hand to signal Teton, Matt pointed at the tower. Teton instantly responded to the command by firing a large lightning bolt well out of range from any of their arrows, and shattering the support beam under it. The tower began to collapse, but not before a catapult fired its rock at Matt. Wasatch saw the boulder coming, which he simply blasted it into hundreds of pieces with a massive lightning bolt.

The Hunter's on the tower began to jump off, seeing that it was toppling over. Matt guided Wasatch through the debris left by the destroyed boulder, and then closer to the tower. Guiding Wasatch into another barrel roll, he let the Skrill snatch one of the Hunter's out of the air.

"Wha-What?!" The Hunter cried, his world shaken up as he found himself no longer falling.

"Sup." Matt called to his prisoner with a smile, kneeling down and letting Wasatch fly around the port and out of range from any arrows and catapults "Listen, I'll make this short and sweet. Tell me where the Night Fury and the two riders are, and I won't drop you. Kapeesh?"

Getting his bearings, the Hunter just shook his head, glaring at Matt.

"Or better yet, I'll let you talk to my friend." Matt added, gesturing behind the Hunter.

Straining his head to turn around, the Hunter gasped as he stared into the hate fueled, white eyes of Teton.

"You see, he's really not a big fan of you guys. Since he was captured by you guys once. Since then, he's been itching to repay the favor. Well, more than he has already with your tower." Matt explained with a jest in his voice "Think it over while I find a spot to land."

Looking up, he saw Heather fly right past a single Hunter, letting Windshear grab him with her tail. Seeing her yell at him, and the Hunter also shaking his head, he laughed as he watched her toss him over her and into the ocean. Then the sight that made him cringe a little. Arrow, who was following Heather, dove in after the Hunter. The water was torrential as the Sand Wraith tore into the floundering Hunter, ignoring Heather's orders to stop.

Then, seeing Astrid and Stormfly fire a hail of spines at a group of Hunters, corralling them next to a burning remnant of a catapult, he shouted "Keep them there! Let's have a chat with them!" At that, he simply dropped his prisoner right into them.

"You hear that?" Astrid shouted, hovering over the Hunters "One move and I'll let Stormfly end you!" Stormfly slowly began to descend, landing in front of the Hunters and growling angrily at them.

"Where's Snotlout and the Twins?" Fishlegs asked, landing next to Astrid and Stormfly.

"They're busy with their own prisoner." Heather explained, letting Windshear land next to Meatlug "Let them be. We'll be more effective without the great detectives."

"Agreed. Let's see what we can do." Matt grunted, jumping off Wasatch while he and Teton hovered above the Hunters.

Astrid then grabbed her axe as she walked up to the group of men. Singling out one of the Hunters, she pointed her axe at him and ordered "Alright, talk! Where's the Night Fury and the two riders captured yesterday?"

None of them replied by simply folding their arms and glared at her. They refused to make eye contact with her or anyone.

Her temper flared up at the Hunter's stubbornness. "Wrong answer." She growled, about to smash the flat side of her axe on one of them. Just as she was about to bring it across, she felt someone pull her axe back. Whirling around, she stared angrily at Matt.

"Astrid, may I try?" He asked, looking at her in the eyes.

Staring at him, she slowly nodded as she backed off and let him step forward. Heather then walked up next to her with Arrow landing right next to them. He hissed at the group of Hunters angrily, wanting to jump into them and tear them apart.

"Easy Arrow." Heather whispered, gently resting her hand on the agitated Sand Wraith "Give us a moment to learn what we can from them."

"I'm guessing you didn't have any luck with any of them huh?" Astrid whispered, looking over at Heather with a dejected expression.

"No. Arrow killed my prisoner before I got to follow up with him." She said aloud, so that the other Hunters would hear.

"Thank you, Heather." Matt huffed, glaring at her to signal for her to be quiet. Shaking his head, he then returned his attention to the group of Hunters. "Heh, hi there. I hope we can all be reasonable folk. Both me and you. I just want some answers and then we'll leave you alone. Pretty solid deal, huh?"

The Hunters continued to glance around, not looking at him in the eye. Only a few folded their arms and shook their heads angrily at him.

Sighing, Matt also shook his head in frustration as he added "You just heard what my friends have done and are willing to do, but I don't think you know what I'm willing to do. Or what I'm capable of. Anyone want to take a guess?"

The Hunters slowly turned their gaze to him and just glared at him, not saying anything.

"I'll tell you anyways." He huffed, rolling his eyes. Using his hands to signal his dragons, he pointed at the ground on both sides of him. Almost immediately, the two Skrills dropped out of the sky and landed next to their rider. If there was a Hunter not looking at him before, they sure were now. "Ok, now that I have your complete attention, I'm telling you that you have one chance to answer my next question. If not, I'm done trying to talk to you and you used up your only reason why you're still breathing. I'll let these two Skrills tear into you right now. So, think carefully about what you choose. Do you know who I am?"

Reluctantly, the Hunters shook their head, though they still retained their silence.

"Alright, let me introduce myself; my name is Matt Haddock. You see, the Night Fury's rider is actually my own blood and kin, Hiccup Haddock. He rides the Night Fury that you took." Matt explained, now acting friendly and very casual with them "And while he's known as the Dragon Master and trainer, and being the leader of our group; I'm a little unique. You see, I have the ability to command lightning."

A couple of the Hunters looked at each other, unsure of what to think of the claim.

Heather and Astrid both let small smiles grow on their faces, seeing Matt's charismatic attitude was starting to chip the Hunter's resilience away. Fishlegs then whispered to Astrid as to not be overheard "Huh. Didn't know he had Hiccup's charm of talking."

"He's a Haddock. Of course he's a talker like Hiccup." Astrid whispered back. Winking at Heather, she quietly added "Sometimes they both won't stop whining though."

Heather smiled as she shook her head. Returning her attention to Matt, she continued to listen to him converse with the Hunters.

"Do any of you know what lightning does to you?" Matt asked, snapping his fingers. Wasatch and Teton instantly began to radiate lightning, with Teton's eyes glowing white again. He was grateful he worked on hand signals with Fishlegs, otherwise this would have been pretty lackluster. Seeing the Hunters try to back away from the angry Skrills, He then stepped closer to them and explained "Lightning isn't like dragon fire where it burns you from the outside in. No, lightning is a lot worse than that. It burns you from the inside out." Looking over to Wasatch, he continued to say "And it doesn't always kill. You can survive it. Initially. You then die later because of the burn damage inside of you. Which I hear is a pretty painful way to go." Glancing back at Teton, he smiled as he added "Lost feeling in my shoulder after this guy shocked me a few months ago."

The Hunter's glanced nervously at each other, trying to find comfort and strength in each other's presence.

Letting a small smirk grow, Matt then shrugged as he said aloud "Listen, the choice is still yours to make. But remember if you don't tell us what we want to know, we can always find other Hunters that do know. You're not the only ones we can ask." Looking at one of the Hunters in the eyes, he asked "So, what's it going to be? You going to make us look for others? Or are you going to be helpful and tell us what we need?"

Astrid, Heather, and Fishlegs watched in earnest as the Hunters continued to glance at each other, this time fear all over their faces. Astrid just gripped her axe with white knuckles, waiting to see if they would crack under Matt's reasoning and threat.

A loud roar sounded behind them, making everyone turn to look at where it came from. Hissing and snarling, Arrow moved next to Teton while glaring at the Hunters. His green eyes had a wild and ferocious look to them, adding to the image of his razor like teeth flashing at them.

"Arrow! Down!" Heather cried out, grabbing one of his many spikes to keep him from charging into the Hunters.

Seeing Arrow being held back by Heather, Matt then turned back to the Hunters and commented sarcastically "Usually I'm not like this. We've all enjoyed the game where you take some dragons, and we free some of them." Then, narrowing his eyes, growled "But if you couldn't tell, we're all pretty pissed off that you've taken our friends. You keep their location a secret any longer, I'm going to let our Sand Wraith have a whack at you too! You see, his Rider was captured with Hiccup and the Night Fury. And He's pretty mad. He's killed plenty of you before, and I'll tell you that he enjoys it."

"Fine! Fine!" One of the Hunters cried out, stepping away from the group "I'll talk!"

Matt quickly reached and grabbed him, pushing him into Astrid. Astrid then held her axe up to the Hunter's neck, demanding "Where's the Night Fury? Where's Hiccup and Ukiah?!"

"North! North of here on Changewing Island!" The Hunter cried "A man named Ivar took them to his dragon fighting pit. He's wanting to use the Night Fury!"

Heather looked at Matt with worry. "A dragon fighting pit?" She whispered. Pulling out Ukiah's paper, she scanned it for Ivar's name.

"Where on Changewing Island?" Astrid continued to shout, pressing the axe against the Hunters throat "And don't bluff. It only ends with me getting upset."

"On the east side! There's a small dock and arena there." The Hunter continued to answer "We have a camp there as well. Just west of the arena!"

Astrid withdrew her axe, having the information they needed. Her eyes narrowed at the Hunter as she growled "If you're lying, we'll be back to end all of you!"

"It's the truth! I swear!" The Hunter continued to cry, looking at her in panic.

"Fishlegs, start sinking their ships so they can't leave." Matt instructed, grabbing the Hunter and pushing him back to his group. Looking at the group, he then said "A deals a deal. We'll spare you. But we're making sure you can't get off this island until the next ship comes." Turning around, he then said to Heather and Astrid "Come on, let's go get Snotlout and the twins."

Walking away from the group of Hunters with dragons right behind them; except Arrow, who continued to growl angrily at the Hunters, Heather then complimented "That was amazing Matt! How did you know you'd be able to make them crack?"

"I'm just that friendly guy!" He laughed. Then, with his face darkening, he added coldly "Plus I was real with my threats. Last time I was this mad at someone for taking or hurting a friend, was when we captured Darien." Finally turning to look at her, he whispered "And I almost killed her. I wish I did."

Heather quickly realized what Matt was saying. And she remembered the occasion. He had his hatchet on Darien's throat, ready to be pressed down to silence her forever. Shaking her head at remembering how cold and murderous he was, she then changed the subject by saying "I looked at the paper and found Ivar's name; but he's one of the leaders whose island Ukiah wasn't able to scout. So we'll have to take the word of that guy and go to Changewing Island."

"I'm still concerned about that though." Astrid cut in, furrowing her eyes in contemplation.

"With the location?" Matt asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Not so much the location, but with how quick he told us everything." Astrid whispered, turning back and glaring at the group of Hunters, talking among themselves "They went from being stone set on not telling us anything, to giving it all up without hesitation. It's like we're being set up for a trap."

"Ok, so how do we follow up on what they told us and not end up like Hiccup and Ukiah?" Heather asked, looking at the Hunters as well.

Making sure they were out of hearing range, Astrid then suggested "I might have an idea on how to do that."

"Oh?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow "What are you thinking?"

"If I know anything about Hunters, they're going to try and warn Ivar and his men." She continued to say, looking at Matt in the eyes "They'll send a warning message to where ever they are, in order to set the trap for us. Or to move Hiccup and Ukiah."

"But if we follow the warning," Heather whispered excitedly, seeing Astrid's reasoning and thought "then we'll be taken right to Hiccup and Ukiah!"

"Exactly." Astrid whispered with a smirk "And be able to stop them from preparing a trap for us. That way we still have the element of surprise on our side."

"I like it." Matt whispered, nodding in agreement. Turning, he watched Fishlegs and Meatlug begin to make short work of the ships in the bay, he then said out loud so the Hunters could hear him "Come on. Let's get the others and go to Changewing Island."

Astrid smiled as she watched him sell the idea that they were leaving. Following closely, she then thought of Hiccup. She could only imagine how he was doing if he really was in a dragon fighting arena. Shaking her head slightly, she shouldered her axe and whispered to herself "We're coming Hiccup. Just do what you told me. Just hang on."

* * *

 **There 'ya go! Hope it was enjoyable to read. I should be on Thanksgiving break and hope to post at least one other chapter before the end of the week, but no promises on that. Hope you all have a great holiday for those in the US, and for others not celebrating, have a great day!**

 **-Dustnblood**


	9. Chapter 9: Foul Play

**Chapter Nine: Foul Play**

* * *

"Wagh!" Ukiah shouted, pulling his hand back with lightning like reflexes. The Razorwhip snapped at him, seeing his hand wander close to its tail.

"Ukiah! Are you alright?!" Hiccup cried out, staring at him with wide eyes.

"I'm fine." He replied in an annoyed tone. Glaring at the Razorwhip, he simply shook his head and let out an angry huff. Since he explained his plan to Hiccup, being that he needed to acquire a quill from the Razorwhip, he spent the entire day trying to pull one out. However, every time he tried to get close, he either ended up getting head butted, or of recent, snapped at.

"I'd let it be for a bit." Hiccup counseled "It's been on edge for a while. Maybe you should wait until it falls asleep. Besides, that manacle covering its tail is keeping it from being able to fling its quills. I don't know if you'll even be able to pull one out if you could."

"But that means it's going to be fighting Toothless!" Ukiah replied angrily "I'm trying to stop the fight!"

"I know Ukiah, and I'm thankful; but unless you magically learn how to train that Razorwhip, the fight's going to happen." Hiccup whispered, looking down at Toothless "I wish Heather was here. She'd have been able to show us how it's done."

"But that would mean she'd be captured with us." Ukiah groaned while sliding down the stone wall to a sitting position. Closing his eyes in angst, he simply shook his head "I'm sorry Hiccup. I can't think of a way to get out. At least without some kind of a weapon."

"Don't apologize. I failed in the same way." Hiccup whispered, taking a seat next to Toothless "I guess this is just welcoming you back to the gang. You're not a Rider until you've been captured at least once."

"How many times have you guys been captured?!" Ukiah asked, staring at him in wonder.

Hiccup let a small smile grow on his face "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He replied.

"Try me." Ukiah quickly shot back, letting a small smile of his own grow on his face as well.

"Let me think." Hiccup said aloud, leaning back against the stone wall and looking up at nothing in particular "Well. In the last year, I've been captured…three times? No four. Once with Astrid, another with Matt, again with Heather, and then temporarily by Viggo and Ryker when we were saving Astrid from Strogg." Smiling, he shook his head as he corrected himself "I guess five times if you include right now. Don't even get me started with Matt. He's been nothing but a target for trouble since he came back. Either brushing sides with death, or getting captured like us."

Ukiah just shook his head, not believing how many times the Riders got out of a bind. "What about Matt then?" He asked.

"Hmmm…" Hiccup began to say, starting to count his fingers "Once while he was trying to free me and Astrid from Dagur and Heather, before she joined us. He got impaled by one of Wasatch's spikes when they were shot down during one of our raids, and then he was knocked out by Darien when she came here." Shaking his head, he then added "And then of recent, he was captured when we first found the Hunters, along with Astrid, Fishlegs, and the Twins. Found out they had Heather for a few months and we didn't even know about it."

"How did you not know she was captured?" Ukiah quizzed, raising an eyebrow at the statement.

"She left us, and didn't tell us where she was going." He replied simply, and then continued to say "Matt was also captured when he trained Teton; and then not even a week later, he was almost killed by Strogg." Gesturing to Ukiah, he then said "That's when you saved him."

Ukiah just nodded, thinking of what Matt had gone through.

"And then when I first met him, he took my place as Alvin's prisoner. Almost died when he trained Wasatch, and then when he got Alvin off Hookfang." Hiccup finished with "When you sum it all up, he's the one that's gone through the most."

"So what he said about him being from a…a different time. A different world; that's all true?" Ukiah asked quietly, looking at Hiccup across the cell.

Hiccup nodded as he said "As true as the story with my leg." At that, he waved his prosthetic at Ukiah "Or as real as that scar in your chest."

Ukiah instinctively slid his hand up his tunic to feel the hole in the center of his chest. The first scar that meant something to him. Shaking his head, he whispered "I guess it's just a lot for me to even accept. Matt is someone I trust to be a good friend. He defended me from-" He froze, realizing what he was about to say.

"Me?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sighing, Ukiah nodded "He was the first person to believe me when I felt sorry for what I did to you and Astrid."

"To be fair, you're keeping a secret from him. He doesn't know that you purposely attacked me for not helping you." Hiccup pointed out, making Ukiah hang his head low "He still thinks you did it for show."

"Do you think that'll change how he feels about me?" He asked, not looking up at Hiccup.

"I'm not going to tell him." Hiccup quickly replied, turning to look at the Gronckle. The Gronckle didn't notice Hiccup looking at it, as it began to lick the stone wall, trying to get something in its stomach "If you feel like you need to tell him, that's your call Ukiah."

Ukiah just stared blankly at the ground, thinking of the subject.

"But I will say this. He may get mad, he may even chew you out; but my experience with him is that he never backs down from someone that he calls a friend." Hiccup whispered, standing up from where he was sitting.

Ukiah looked up and stared at Hiccup, as if asking for a further explanation.

Pulling off his prosthetic, he quietly said "Listen, after all that he went through with me, after I kept a secret from him that nearly killed him; he never once threatened to turn his back on me. The only time he ever did that, was when he demanded that I give you a chance to come back." He then began to hammer at the stone wall with his prosthetic in hand.

Ukiah just watched him as he thought of what he said about Matt, and also wondering what he was doing "Trying to dig our way out?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Shaking his shackled leg to let the chain rattle against itself, he then added "Still gotta get these things off."

Cracking the wall, a few rocks fell to his one foot. Kneeling down and picking them up, Hiccup explained "I know, but these dragons are starving. At least we can help one of them." At that, he tossed them to the Gronckle "There ya' go."

The Gronckle looked at him in surprise, seeing the rocks tumble at its feet. Not even thinking, it quickly scooped them up and loudly munched on them.

"Okay, let's try this." He announced, popping his prosthetic back on. Making eye contact with the Gronckle, he stuck out his hand towards it.

The Gronckle looked at Hiccup with inquisitive eyes. Ukiah thought for sure he was going to watch Hiccup work his magic, seeing the Gronckle stare at Hiccup. Then, the moment that filled him with disappointment. The Gronckle then narrowed its eyes and growled dangerously at him.

"Well, it's a start." Hiccup replied, looking a little depressed at the rejection.

"That ungrateful beast." Ukiah growled, glaring at the Gronckle "You gave it food and have only been friendly to it."

"It's scared." Hiccup quietly excused "It'll come around. Dragons are like people; some need more time than others."

Before Ukiah could say anything, a jingling began to sound outside the door. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as the door burst open with a crowd of Hunters, led by Ivar.

"Come on, load up the Razorwhip." Ivar ordered, stopping in the middle of the cell.

Ukiah and Hiccup watched as two Hunters unlocked the shackles around the Razorwhip's leg. They then began to push it into a cage loaded on a cart; obviously used to move the dragons in and out of the cell.

"Now get the Night Fury." Ivar instructed, smirking over at Toothless.

"You stay away from him!" Hiccup shouted, stepping in between Toothless and the Hunters.

The Hunters ignored him and one of them brought his fist across Hiccup's face, launching him to the side.

"Hiccup!" Ukiah roared, sprinting at the Hunters. Just barely in reach with his chain, he grabbed one of them and pulled them back. His fighting blood was raging as he kicked behind the Hunter's knee and slammed him onto the ground. Before any other Hunter could react, Ukiah dropped down and planted his own knee into the throat of the Hunter.

"Get him off!" Ivar yelled, annoyed at the Ukiah's resistance.

One Hunter drilled the butt end of his spear into Ukiah's side, causing him to gasp out in pain and loss of air. Pushing their prisoner over easily, the Hunter's then began to help their comrade.

"Forget him. Get the Night Fury!" Ivar roared, walking over and grabbing the gasping Hunter. Pulling him away from where Ukiah lay, he simply shook his head at his 'help'.

Hiccup finally got his bearings back, as he looked up to see Toothless pushed into another cage. Trying to stand up to stop the cart, he felt a hand grasp his shoulder and hold him back. It was Ivar.

Toothless roared as loud as he could, glaring at Ivar and the Hunters.

"You keep him feisty. I like that." Ivar observed evilly, grinning at Hiccup.

Hiccup just watched angrily and helplessly as the gates opened to their cell. Ivar led the two carts, with Toothless just watching Hiccup. Hiccup's heart broke, seeing his best friend taken away from him.

"Ugh…no!" Ukiah groaned, holding his side where he was hit at. Looking up in time to see Toothless out of the cell, he let his cold anger burn as the gates slammed shut.

Both Hiccup and Ukiah ran to the small slots in the gate, looking out; with Ukiah being held back a couple feet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Tonight I bring you, for the first time…" Ivar announced loudly, walking into the arena with open arms. A loud cheer erupted from the stands around the arena, adding to the burning anger the two felt. Holding the dramatic pause, Ivar smiled evilly as he yelled "A Night Fury!"

The crowd went crazy; creating a deafening roar. Hiccup anxiously looked out of the gate, while Ukiah angled himself to get the best view that he could.

"Fighting the most vicious dragon on this side of Changewing Island…A Razorwhip!" Ivar continued to shout. The crowd went nuts, seeing both cages lined so that the dragons were facing each other. Turning to his men, Ivar waved his hand and jogged out of the arena.

Slowly, the cages were lifted off the two dragons and suspended in the air, which both began to circle each other.

"How well can Toothless fair without you?" Ukiah asked, catching glimpses of the Razorwhip and Toothless. The Razorwhip was at least twice the size of Toothless, and was being a lot more aggressive by striking at Toothless with its tail.

Hiccup just gripped the gate as he watched in angst. "Come on bud…" He whispered, watching the fight take place.

The Razorwhip charged Toothless, head-butting him. Toothless roared as he reared back, only to let the Razorwhip pin him to the ground on his back. Toothless snapped at the silver dragon, trying to get ahold of its neck. The size and weight of the Razorwhip made it easy for it to keep Toothless pinned and keeping its head away from him. Hissing the Razorwhip went for Toothless' throat, which he twisted barely out of the way.

"Get out of there Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, thinking Toothless was about to be killed.

Toothless used his strength to send both of them rolling, which he was able to slip out from under the Razorwhip. Growling he whirled around and roared at the dragon, who took off and flew around the arena. Flying in a circle around Toothless, it blasted the ground next to him and caused a smokescreen to blind him. Toothless covered his head out of reaction, only to feel a stinging feeling across his left front leg. Letting the dust settle, he saw that the Razorwhip slashed him while he was blinded.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, seeing the injury.

Toothless let out a challenging roar, as he ran to intercept the Razorwhip's flight path. Sprinting as fast as he could, he leapt onto the stone wall of the arena and pushed off of it, slamming himself into his opponent. The surprise and force of the hit stunned the Razorwhip, which went limp under the roaring Night Fury. Toothless roared angrily as he charged up for a plasma blast!

"No Toothless! No!" Hiccup shouted, knowing what he was about to do.

Glancing up at Hiccup through the gate, Toothless obeyed and defused the shot he was preparing.

That was enough time for the Razorwhip to force Toothless off, being bigger than him. Toothless launched off and landed away from the Razorwhip, giving him a healthy distance from it. The Razorwhip hissed as it stood up. Glaring at him with its burning purple eyes, it was about to charge him. Toothless saw it coming long before it actually happened. Swinging his tail around, he slammed it into the side of the Razorwhip's head. The blow stunned the dragon again, leaving it teetering over.

The crowd was in a pandemonium. Some booing, most cheering. This was a fight of a lifetime for some! Toothless ignored the cheering. Slowly walking backwards, he held his tail in front of his face, as if in a defensive position. The Razorwhip growled angrily, slowly following him.

"What's going on?!" Ukiah asked, losing his view from the cracks "Hiccup, I can't see anything!"

"I think Toothless is onto something…" Hiccup replied, not taking his eyes off his friend.

Toothless kept on backing up, leading the Razorwhip closer to the center of the arena. Having been fed up with patiently waiting, the Razorwhip screeched as it charged him. Toothless leapt up into the air and right over the Razorwhip. While midair, he turned and fired a plasma blast at one of the ropes holding a cage up. The cage instantly fell onto the Razorwhip, trapping it in the center of the ring.

"He did it! Thank Thor he did it!" Hiccup shouted excitedly.

"Great!" Ukiah huffed sarcastically, glaring at Hiccup "Mind telling me what he did?"

Before Hiccup could reply, a deafening chant began to emit from the crowd: "Night Fury! Night Fury! Night Fury!"

Hiccup turned to look out, a wave of anger and helplessness setting in. Seeing Toothless roar angrily at the crowd, trying to intimidate them, he whispered "Something that probably made him more valuable to the Hunters…"

* * *

"How's he looking?" Ukiah asked, trying to get a better look at Toothless' injury. In the darkness and his angle, he could only tell that he was bleeding. Not how bad though.

"He's…hurting." Hiccup replied "The Razorwhip got him good. It's pretty deep."

Ukiah turned and glared at the Razorwhip, laying down in its corner of the cell. It barely moved since it lost too Toothless, though it was still alive. "Hmm…guess dragons have pride too." Ukiah muttered to himself, watching the Razorwhip refuse to make eye contact with anything.

"Oh bud, I'm so proud of you. You did great." Hiccup began to say, pulling Ukiah's attention back to the present.

Toothless growled with a smile, though winced in pain as he moved his leg.

"I know, I know…" Hiccup whispered, looking at him with sorrow in his eyes.

Before anyone could react, the door shot open with Ivar smiling from ear to ear. The sight made Ukiah rage silently. He still yearned for the opportunity to kill the man.

"To the victor goes the spoils!" He cried out, tossing three fish to Hiccup and Toothless.

Hiccup watched Ivar walk towards the other dragons, barely giving them any fish. In one smooth motion, he grabbed one fish and tucked it away under his tunic.

"When I get out of here…" Ukiah growled, watching Ivar finish feeding the dragons.

"Open your eyes boy. You're not getting out of here except in irons!" Ivar quickly responded, glaring at Ukiah "I've already sold your hide to a slaver. After what you did to my man, it's the worse that I'm willing to do. Your master is coming to pick you up after tomorrow's fight." Looking at Toothless, he grinned as he added "Involving that Night Fury again."

"Listen, he fought for you. And you made a fortune. Now you need to let us go." Hiccup began to argue.

"Why would I do that? I already made a hefty amount selling your friend." Ivar replied with a smile and a raised eyebrow "When word gets out that I have a Night Fury, people will be coming all over to see it fight." Gesturing out of the gate, and across the arena, he then said "Night Fury, meet your next opponent. The Triple Stryke!"

Hiccup and Toothless glanced out to see the opposite gate get lifted up. Out of the darkness, burst a strange and unique looking dragon. Standing on its hind legs, its front claws were actually pincers! It had a long tail arched over it like a scorpion. Glaring at them behind the gate, it simply roared, as if claiming its next opponent's life.

Hiccup stared at the dragon in horror. It looked like a killer!

Ivar laughed, seeing Hiccup's fallen face. Walking out, he teased "Have a good night, it may be your last."

Ukiah just glared at Ivar as he slammed the door shut. Cursing him silently, he turned to see Hiccup stroking Toothless' head out of anxiousness and worry. Whatever he saw, it had him scared. Looking at the Razorwhip, he quietly growled "Don't worry Hiccup, I'm going to do whatever I can to stop this fight…"

* * *

"I never doubted you Astrid. Not once." Matt said aloud, shaking his head with a wide smile "But to see it actually work? Gotta say that's pretty impressive."

Astrid just smirked at him, holding the Terrible Terror with the note attached to its leg. "Thank you Matt. It was because you scared them though."

"For the love of Thor!" Snotlout began to whine "Would you two get a room?!"

Instead of being embarrassed, the two just laughed, knowing they made a commitment to never go past friends. Matt just looked over at Heather and winked at her, which she simply smiled and shook her head.

"Now let's see if there's anything that the message can tell us?" Astrid asked aloud, letting the Terror go and unrolling the paper.

"Well, anything?" Heather asked, letting Windshear hover closer to Astrid.

"Odin's mercy…it is a dragon fighting arena! That Hunter was telling the truth!" Astrid whispered, her face paling "It's busy enough that they have to keep resupplying them with new dragons!"

Matt turned and glared at Changewing Island. It was true then, the fact the Hunters were using dragon fights for profit. And pleasure. What angered him the most though was the fact that there was a demand for it to begin with!

"And if I'm right in guessing this, when people hear a Night Fury is fighting…" Heather began to say, looking at Astrid with worry "Think of how popular that's going to get!"

"So?" Snotlout began to argue, making everyone turn to look at him "Hiccup and Toothless need us!"

"And Ukiah." Matt quickly pointed out, frowning at Snotlout.

"I'm still getting used to him being here." Snotlout huffed, rolling his eyes. Continuing his rant, he yelled "Come on, let's go in dragon's blazing!"

"Let me get this straight." Matt asked aloud, taking over the conversation "You want to just fly over and burn a Hunters' camp, the same Hunters that have anti-dragon arrows; have all their equipment and cages made of dragon proof metal; and bust Hiccup and the others out? Just like that?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" Snotlout began to say, glaring at Matt in anger.

"Matt's right. We'd never be able to break the arena's dome." Heather agreed "The only dragons here that could do that are either Windshear with her tail, and Matt's Skrills; Teton and Wasatch."

"I guess I could go down and create a lightning storm. Scare some of the people and guards away." Matt began to contemplate, only to be cut off by the twins.

"Never fear Grandson Haddock! And his girlfriend Heather the Deranged!" Tuffnut shouted, smiling wide at Matt.

"Grandson?!" Matt spluttered, taken back at the comment. Glaring at the twins, he quickly corrected "Its brother! I'm a brother!"

"And I'm not deranged like Dagur!" Heather shouted angrily, hating that part of family.

"They're in denial. Better remind them after the mission." Ruffnut whispered loud enough for the two to hear.

Before Matt could tear into the twins, they then said "Come on! It's time for Thorston and Thorston to infiltrate the island!" At that, the two flew their Zippleback down and towards the island "Follow us! We'll find a way in!"

Shaking his head, he heard Snotlout say "Oh goody. There they go."

"Come on, we better make sure they don't get themselves into trouble." Matt growled, letting Wasatch start to dive after the twins "Mainly to keep them from putting themselves in Hiccup's and Ukiah's situation!"

"Matt wait!" Astrid called out, stopping him "I have an idea. What if Heather and I go with the twins while you take Snotlout and Fishlegs to strike from the outside, as soon as you see us turn the tables on the Hunters."

Matt looked at her with a worried expression "Are you sure? I don't like how you guys will be in there with no cover. And with the Twins as your partners."

"You'll be our cover!" Astrid replied with a smile "Between you, Snotlout, and Fishlegs; plus Wasatch, Teton, Hookfang, and Meatlug, we'll be fine! Not to mention we'll have our dragons."

Heather agreed, saying "If we have too big of a group down there, they may try to move our friends while we're fighting them. A smaller group will be better for getting in and busting out Hiccup, Ukiah, and Toothless."

Thinking about it, Matt slowly and reluctantly began to nod "Alright, I'll give you twenty minutes to get in and try to get them. After that, we'll be coming in with Snotlout's plan; dragon's blazing. That way we'll hit them from two sides. Got it?"

"Got it! See you guys in a bit!" Astrid replied with a wide smile, letting Stormfly follow the twins.

"Heather." Matt called out, stopping her from leaving too "Take Arrow with you, since you'll probably see Ukiah before I do. And please, for my sake, be careful. I don't want to look for you if you've been captured too."

"I'll be fine Matt. Because I know you won't let anyone leave with me; or any of us for that manner." Heather replied with smile. At that, she let Windshear launch after Stormfly, making up the lost ground and shouting "Come on Arrow, let's get Ukiah back!"

Matt just watched the small party fly behind cover, staying hidden from any sentries with the Sand Wraith tailing behind. Sighing, he then glared down at the arena, growling "That's right Heather, I'm not letting anyone take you, or any of my friends." Turning to Teton who was hovering close by, he then smiled "Charge up boy, we're going to see how resistant that metal is to our lightning."

* * *

Ukiah watched Hiccup walk up to the Monstrous Nightmare, holding out the fish towards it. A little skeptically, he then asked quietly "How do you know it's not going to do the same thing as the Gronckle? Turn its back on you after you feed it?"

Hiccup ignored Ukiah, focusing on the Nightmare. "Here you go…" He gently said, waving the fish in front of the dragon. As soon as the Nightmare saw the fish, he tossed it to it. In one smooth motion, it caught it in the air. Almost immediately, it roared painfully and dropped the fish.

"These dragons are too wild or defensive to be trained, Hiccup." Ukiah commented, shaking his head in disappointment.

"No, hold on." Hiccup replied "I've seen this before." Grabbing the fish, he quickly dangled it in front of the Nightmare a second time. The Nightmare opened its mouth, as if yearning for the fish. Smiling, Hiccup then said "I'd rather not lose my other limb, thank you very much." At that he pulled out a loose tooth from the Nightmare.

Ukiah stared in disbelief as he watched the dragon's attitude change immediately. Hiccup tossed the fish a second time, and the Nightmare quickly snatched it out of the air and ate it. Immediately it then rubbed against Hiccup, thanking him.

"How in Odin's name…" Ukiah whispered, shaking his head in disbelief "I can't believ-"

"You may be a better fighter and warrior than me Ukiah, but my strengths are in knowing and training dragons." Hiccup commented, smiling at him as he walked to the Nadder. Almost immediately, the dragon growled at him, letting its spikes flare up along its tail.

Ukiah simply watched, learning to trust that Hiccup knew what he was doing.

"Alright…don't mind me." Hiccup whispered "Just gotta find that blind spot…and…" He then began to scratch the Nadder's chin, instantly calming it down. The Nadder began to rub against Hiccup, almost like what Stormfly would have done if it were her.

"I guess I have a lot to learn about dragon training." Ukiah said aloud, smiling as he watched Hiccup calm the remaining dragons. Ivar had taken Toothless, the Gronckle, and the Razorwhip to the arena earlier leaving them alone for a quite a bit of time. Unfortunately, Hiccup watched the fight between the Gronckle and the Razorwhip take place, which ended with the Razorwhip easily dispatching the Gronckle.

"Hey Ukiah, with your plan to get a Razorwhip quill, did you specifically need that?" Hiccup asked, walking to the side of the now friendly Nadder.

"I need a weapon. That was what I thinking that I could use." Ukiah answered, turning to look at the gate, hearing a small group of Hunters starting to open it up "Hold that thought. We have company."

Hiccup turned and glared at the Hunters as the gate swung open wide. Two Hunters escorted the Razorwhip inside, shackling it to the wall as everyone and everything was.

"Put that manacle on the tail." Ivar ordered "That tail can cut through anything."

Ukiah watched Hiccup's face furrow in contemplation giving away the fact that he had an idea growing in his head.

"Now for you…" Ivar began to say, turning and glaring at Ukiah "After the fight, your new master is coming down to see you. Make sure you behave yourself!"

"Oh, I'll behave…" Ukiah growled sarcastically.

"See that you do." Ivar replied threateningly while pointing his spear at Hiccup. Resting the tip in the center of his chest, he added "It's not you that will suffer if you don't."

Ukiah's eyes narrowed in anger, seeing that Hiccup was being used against him.

"Now, let's get this fight started!" Ivar laughed, turning to walk out. Teasing Hiccup, he jeered "Your Night Fury has drawn quite the crowd!"

Hiccup watched the Hunters leave while laughing. Seeing two of the Hunters slam it shut, he quickly turned around and walked up to the Nadder.

"I hate to say it Hiccup, but it's looking like I'm going to be gone in a little bit…" Ukiah growled, glaring at the shut gates.

"Not quite." Hiccup replied, stroking the Nadder's tail "Listen, regardless of what happens, you need to do your plan next time they come in here. We're out of time and we need to do something now!"

"I need something to fight with!" Ukiah replied angrily, turning to face Hiccup. To his surprise, he saw a single Nadder spine tossed towards him. Catching it, he stared at it with wide eyes.

"Think that'll work?" Hiccup asked with a smile.

Tossing it in the air, he caught the base of it. Testing the tip of the spine, he simply nodded. A small light shone in his eyes, as if the hope of escaping was rekindled. "This is perfect Hiccup. I completely forgot about the Nadder's spine shot!"

"Don't mention it, just make sure you use the most of it!" Hiccup replied with a smile. Guiding the Nightmare and Nadder towards the Razorwhip, he then eyed the manacle locked on its tail.

"What are you thinking of now?" Ukiah asked, sitting down and trying pick his shackle's lock with the spine.

"Maybe a way to stop the fight. And Ivar." Hiccup replied methodically. Getting the two dragon's attention, he then pointed at the manacle. The two dragons instantly fired two constant streams of fire at the manacle, turning it into a bright red glow. The Razorwhip looked at the feat with growing interest, seeing that it was getting helped.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Ivar's voice echoed from the arena "I give you, the reigning champion! The Triple Stryke!"

Ukiah leapt onto his feet, walking to the end of his chain and looking out. The crowd cheered loudly, signaling that it was a favorite.

"And the newcomer! The representative of lightning and death! The Night Fury!" Ivar's voice shouted proudly.

Hiccup ignored the dragons and ran to the gate. "No!" He cried, realizing he was too late.

The crowd roared in a fury, excited about the fight!

Ukiah quickly sat down and resumed to try and pick the lock. He had to get out! He had to stop the fight!

Hiccup watched as the cages were lifted off both dragons. Almost immediately the Triple Stryke lashed out its tail at Toothless. Toothless quickly leaped to the left, dodging the strike and letting the cart get destroyed. Watching in angst, all he could do was silently cheer and pray for Toothless as he battled against the new foe.

"Hiccup! Work on that Razorwhip!" Ukiah growled, still trying to pick the lock "Toothless can handle himself, what we need to do is provide an interruption during the fight!"

Hiccup reluctantly walked away from the gate, not wanting to abandon his friend. But Ukiah was right, the best help he could be is if they could get out of their cell and stop the fight themselves. Running to the Razorwhip, Hiccup then resumed guiding the Nightmare and the Nadder to try and remove the manacle from the Razorwhip.

Ukiah was busy fitting the tip of the spine into the keyhole, when suddenly a crash sounded out of the doorway. Looking up, he was surprised to see a Hunter's face pressed up against the door's bars. Watching the Hunter slowly slide down while falling unconscious, he was shocked to see Astrid's face appear.

"Ukiah?" She cried happily "Hiccup! Thank Thor we found you!"

"Astrid?!" Hiccup cried out in disbelief.

Crash! A large metal tail shot the door off its hinges, revealing Astrid, Heather, Windshear, and Arrow.

"Arrow!" Ukiah shouted, seeing his friend sprint towards him.

Arrow rammed his head into Ukiah's chest, knocking him down. Growling happily, he kept on rubbing against his rider.

"I was so worried about you…" Astrid whispered, grabbing Hiccup in a hug.

I'm fine Astrid, and thank you…" Hiccup replied, equally quiet.

"And now! The final strike!" Ivar's voice announced, echoing in the cell.

"No!" Hiccup shouted, glancing at the gate in a panic "We need to get out of here and stop the fight!"

"Windshear! Tail slice!" Heather shouted, pointing at the shackles on everyone's legs.

Windshear's tail made quick work of the irons, either crushing them or slicing the chain.

"Come on! Let's go!" Hiccup shouted, trying to push open the gate.

"Go ahead! Arrow and I will meet you in a second!" Ukiah shouted, running out of the cell through the doorway.

Ignoring Heather's and Astrid's cries, he and Arrow bolted down the stone hallway. Seeing stairs lead up to the arena, he readied the Nadder spine as he reached the stand where Ivar and a couple of his men were standing. He could feel his emotions null out. The despair of trying to stop the fight disappeared as a cold pitiless feeling overcame him. "Sick 'em, Arrow!" He shouted, grabbing Ivar from behind and pulling him down.

Arrow roared loudly, sinking his teeth into one of the Hunter's shoulder, instantly dropping him. He wasted no time as he swiped his tail over Ukiah and into the face of the second guard, launching him into the crowd below.

Ivar tried to swing his fist at Ukiah, who easily countered it. Grabbing Ivar's wrist, he then slammed it down onto the deck of the platform. "Grab him, Arrow!" He ordered.

The crowd let out an audible gasp as they watched the dragon that looked like a Night Fury, but wasn't, turn and bite down on Ivar's arm, holding him in place.

"Aggh!" Ivar roared, using his other hand to try and push the Sand Wraith off. Feeling the dragon start to tear it, he roared "You're making big mistake kid!"

"Am I?" Ukiah replied calmly, kneeling down next to Ivar and placing the Nadder spine over his heart "I'm not the one whose arm is getting shredded by a Sand Wraith."

"Fool! Ryker is here! With his men!" Ivar laughed.

Ukiah quickly glanced down at the arena, seeing Toothless and the Triple Stryke staring down and Ryker and a couple of his men. Frowning, he then slammed his knee into Ivar's chest, making him cough for air. "Still not going to save you for what you did to me and Hiccup!"

"Oh, and a loyal crowd!" Ivar coughed out, not fazed by Ukiah's threat.

However, before any of the crowd could even react to help Ivar, an explosion sounded in the arena. Everyone turned to gasp as they saw a Nightmare and Nadder emerge from the arena's cell, followed by two Razorwhip's, another Nadder, and a bunch of Dragon Riders.

"This. Ends. Now!" Hiccup roared, looking up at the crowd. Looking around the arena, he gasped as he was staring at Ryker, who was angrily glaring at him. On one end of the arena, was the sight that relieved him above all else. Toothless and the Triple Stryke were growling at Ryker, ready to attack him.

"Hey-o! Guess who's here!" A voice shouted above everyone.

Everyone, including the crowd, looked up to see two Skrills hovering over; both being lit up with lightning. Matt, standing up on Wasatch waved to Ryker below "Hey Ryker! Wanna take a shot at me again?"

Ryker was about to say something, only be interrupted by Toothless growling and the Triple Stryke rattling its tail like a rattlesnake. Seeing how hopelessly he was outmatched, he growled angrily "This isn't over Haddocks! I'll have both you and your dragon's heads mounted on spears before the years through!" At that he turned and ran out of the arena through the Triple Stryke's cell.

The crowd instantly began to boo and threaten Matt, some even starting to draw their weapons to help Ivar. They were quickly stopped as a fire bolt blasted some of the seating away.

"Justice! Get your justice here!" Snotlout shouted with a large smile "Get it while it's hot!" At that, Hookfang blasted the crowd again, sending them in a panicked run.

Fishlegs then swooped down, letting Meatlug leave a long layer of lava behind and destroying anything that was left behind. "Dragon fighting!" Fishlegs growled angrily "I'll give you dragon fighting! Show them Meatlug!"

At that, both Snotlout and Fishlegs began to chase the crowd away, leaving Ukiah and Arrow alone with Ivar; as well as Matt and his Skrills.

"Yeah, well, I have a few friends backing me up too." Ukiah lauded back at Ivar. Grabbing his throat, he made Ivar look at him in the eyes. "You have one chance to convince me before I let Arrow rip your arm off. Then I move onto the next one."

Ivar visibly gulped, realizing he was no longer in control and at the mercy of the one he sold to a slaver.

"You ok, Ukiah?" Matt cried out, starting to hover closer to him.

"I'm fine. Get Hiccup and the dragons out." He shouted back, not taking his eyes off Ivar. Then with a sarcastic tone, added "Let me be with this brave Hunter that likes to beat his captives that can't fight back."

Matt just looked at Ivar, having an idea what fate he was going to suffer. Shaking his head, he looked down to see Hiccup, Astrid, and Heather in the arena. "Hold on Hiccup, let's see if we can't get you guys out of there." He shouted, pulling down his goggles to look over the metal bars in detail. Signaling to Teton, he then pointed at the center of the arena's cage. Teton instantly screeched in response, letting loose a powerful lightning bolt. Striking where Matt had pointed, the metal fanned out at the raw power of the lightning, leaving a wide opening for them to all fly out of.

The first dragons to jump on the chance to escape were the wild ones, being the Nadder, Nightmare and purple eyed Razorwhip. Letting them fly through first, Matt guided Wasatch through the massive hole, with Teton following close by. Unbuckling himself, he quickly jumped down before Wasatch even landed.

"Matt!" Hiccup cried out, happy to see him.

Matt didn't say anything, he just ran up and grabbed Hiccup in a hug "I'm going to kill you for getting yourself captured!" He growled, looking over him. Seeing a bruise on his cheek, he asked "How bad did they treat you?"

"They hit me once." Hiccup replied with a shrug, turning to see Toothless walk up to him "When I tried to defend Toothless." Looking over everyone that was right there, he whispered "It's so good to see you guys. I wasn't even sure you'd ever find us!"

"We wouldn't have stopped searching for you Hiccup." Astrid quickly said, walking up to him with a relieved expression on her face. Grabbing him in a hug, she quietly assured him by saying "You know that."

"I do." He replied, relishing in the hug. Finally backing away from her, he turned to see the Triple Stryke watch them curiously. Smiling, he then gestured to the hole above them "Go on, your free!"

The Triple Stryke just looked up at the hole, and then back at Hiccup; as if unsure what to do.

"Hiccup! That dragon's been in captivity for too long!" Fishlegs shouted, now hovering above the arena "It doesn't know how to be free.

Hiccup's heart broke, hearing the reality of the situation. How do they get this dragon out of here?

Toothless seemed to have an answer for the unasked question. Walking up to the Triple Stryke, he spread his wings out and gestured to the hole above him. The Triple Stryke slowly opened its wings out, seeing what he was meaning.

"Come on! Let's show him how to leave!" Hiccup cried out, jumping on Toothless. In one smooth motion, he launched out of the arena, with Astrid and Stormfly close behind.

Matt and Heather stayed to watch the new dragon slowly fly up, following both dragons out. Smiling, the two looked at each other with happy expressions.

Suddenly, a scream sounded from up on the platform above them. Matt quickly drew his knife, flipping it open in one smooth motion. Heather did the same, grabbing her axe strapped to her back and folding it open to show the double axes.

"No! No! I told you everything! I gave you the map! Please don- Agh!" The voice cried out, only to be cut short rather abruptly.

Matt glanced at Heather nervously, unsure of what to think. Heather's eyes narrowed as she focused on the platform above them. Then, standing up into view, came the sight that brought both of them relief. Ukiah folding up a piece of paper, with Arrow rubbing against him with a relieved expression. Looking down in the arena, Ukiah laughed "Matt? I should have figured you'd be here too." Petting Arrow to acknowledge the affection, he added "Thank you for taking care of Arrow for me. He gets worked up whenever we get separated.

"Ukiah! I hope the Hunters treated you better than Hiccup." Matt replied with a smile. Then, letting the smile slowly disappear, he asked "Was your prisoner the one we heard scream?"

"Yeah, you just left us as we were about to blow the cell up" Heather explained, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, well I was stopping the dragon fights for good. Ivar will no longer be a problem. For us and dragons." He replied, shrugging at what he did "For what he did to me and Hiccup, including Toothless, He had it coming. I swore that I'd kill him. And I'm true to my word." At that, he climbed onto Arrow "He tried to fight back, but it wasn't that much of a challenge." Seeing the concerned looks on both Matt's and Heather's faces, he quickly explained "He beat on me and Hiccup. He sold me to a slaver, which I guess won't happen now." Squaring up to them, he added "I'm not sorry. He deserved to die for what he did. I don't kill for the sake of spilling blood."

Heather nodded in understanding. Gesturing to the paper tucked in his belt, she asked "So, what did you take from him?"

"A map. One that was on him. We actually traded. I gave him a Nadder spine in his heart, and I got this in return." Ukiah replied simply. Still sense their hesitancy, he then explained "Listen, I know I seem intense and maybe a little extreme, but Ivar needed to die. Not only does it hurt Viggo and his operations, but he would have stopped at nothing to get Toothless back. He abused him to fight some of the stronger dragons and I was going to be shipped off as a slave to someone. I did what I had to."

Shaking her head, she then said "I'm glad we found you guys when we did then. And what kind of map did you find?"

"One that I'm hoping that has the location of Crev on it." He replied with a smile. Looking at Heather, he then said "If it has it, I might be leaving in a couple of days. Hopefully Hiccup can help me make sense of it."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Matt called out while climbing on Wasatch "We can talk about it when we catch up to Hiccup and the others."

Matt watched Heather climb on Windshear, to which he asked "Ready?"

"Ready." She replied, launching through the hole in the arena's dome. Matt let Wasatch follow her, with Teton close behind. Ukiah and Arrow were then tailing close behind them, getting closer to Matt.

"Hey guys." Ukiah replied, glancing between both Matt and Heather "Uh, thanks. Thanks for busting us out. And for taking care of Arrow while I was missing."

"Don't mention it Ukiah. We're just getting even with all you've done for us." Heather was quick to reply, turning to smile at him "I'm just glad you and Hiccup are safe."

"Amen." Matt quickly seconded while letting Wasatch glide alongside Arrow "Honestly, we'd have kept looking for you if you guys weren't there."

Ukiah smiled with gratitude. He was being treated not only as a friend, but someone they valued. It was just like when Berk treated him and Arrow as members of their tribe. It was a surreal feeling; one that he longed for a while now.

As the three caught up with Hiccup and everyone else, Ukiah was shocked to see the Triple Stryke flying alongside Toothless. "Hiccup! Did you train that thing?" He cried out, seeing the Triple Stryke mimic Toothless with all his movements.

Laughing, Hiccup shook his head, explaining "Nope. Toothless did! They befriended each other in the arena!"

"And it looks like it wants to stay with us!" Fishlegs commented, smiling at the prospect of having a new dragon living on Dragon's Edge.

"He looks so sleek, so deadly!" Tuffnut called out, making everyone turn to face the twins "I think I shall call him Sleuther. After Thorston and Thorston's great detecting skills!"

Hiccup and Ukiah looked at Astrid in confusion, to which she rolled her eyes while shaking her head "I'll tell you guys later." Glancing at Matt who had his eyes shut in angst, she then joked "I mean, it's not like we couldn't have done it without them!"

Matt just shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Well Sleuther, I hope you like Dragon's Edge!" Hiccup said aloud, smiling at the Triple Strike.

Sleuther just smiled, looking back at all the new friends he just made. Seeing Arrow and Ukiah and making eye contact with them, he quickly glided over next to them. Looking at Arrow curiously, the Triple Stryke reached over with one of his pincers and stroked one of his spikes along his back as if to help him figure out what Arrow was.

Arrow roared happily, looking up at Sleuther. Smiling, he let sand trickle out of the corners of his mouth, creating an orange streamer behind him.

Sleuther also roared with a wide smile. Doing a mid-flight front flip, he simply glided along Arrow.

"Guess we got a new friend, Arrow." Ukiah announced, seeing Sleuther begin to mimic Arrow with his movements.

At that everyone focused on what lay ahead, happy that the nightmare of their friends missing, was finally over.

* * *

 _ **Hope you all enjoyed reading it! Sorry I couldn't update sooner, my vacation ended up not having any WiFi so I couldn't even get on FanFiction if I wanted to. Hope you all had a great week and weekend, and hope it continues that way for all of ya'!**_

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


	10. Chapter 10: Heather Focused

**Chapter Ten: Heather Focused**

* * *

"It sounds like they're looking for something specific." Hiccup replied, glancing back and forth between two maps and Ukiah's list.

"Definitely." Fishlegs affirmed "Something on one of the islands in that cluster." Looking at Hiccup, he then asked "What do you think they're looking for? Supplies? Resources? Dragons?"

"Either way, I doubt it's going to be anything good for us." Hiccup answered, glaring at the circled islands.

"Hey. Eyes up." Ukiah growled, folding his arms with a stern face. Making sure he had their attention, he then gestured to him and Matt, saying "We're still in the dark here. What did the map tell you?"

"It's not really a map, as much as it is a list of instructions." Hiccup replied. Flipping the map over, he pointed at some writing, to which he said "They're instructions from Viggo. Having Ivar take charge of retrieving something from these islands. According to this, Ivar wrote that he sent someone named Turik. He's not on your list Ukiah, so he's probably not that big of a leader. Probably Ivar's go to guy."

"So nothing with new islands or undiscovered ones, huh?" Matt asked, knowing that was the main question on Ukiah's mind.

"Not really. No." Hiccup explained "It goes into details about some of Viggo's operations though. It talks about a location of a major shipyard, as well as Turik's instructions. He's supposed to operate in the night, and then go to the shipyard to drop off his cargo."

"So nothing about Crev." Ukiah answered, looking up at the setting sun. His face was long and even had a hint of depression. Everyone knew why he was looking for Crev, and didn't know what to do to help him.

"I'm sorry Ukiah. Not on this map. But this does give us an opportunity. I'd imagine this Turik guy will be searching the island tonight." Hiccup began to say "Assuming he didn't leave that dragon fighting arena too long ago. But even so, he doesn't know that we shut down the fights; or what Ukiah did to Ivar."

"No. Ivar did that to himself. He chose his fate when he refused to let us go and beat on us." Ukiah excused, finally tearing his eyes from the sunset and walking up to the map "If Turik doesn't know about Ivar, then we have an edge on him."

"The element of surprise." Matt summed up, nodding in agreement.

"If we leave now, we can capitalize on that, stopping Turik and Viggo's plan for whatever he wants on those islands." Ukiah added, looking at Hiccup with resolve.

Hiccup nodded, agreeing with Ukiah. Staring at the map, he then asked "Do you guys feel up to it? I know you guys rode for a few days non-stop trying to find us."

"We're fine Hiccup." Matt huffed, rolling his eyes "It's you and Ukiah we're worried about. Not to mention Toothless, who went through two fights! You've only been free for less than half a day. You were prisoners for three days and two nights!"

"I'm fine." Hiccup replied with a smile. Turning to Ukiah, he asked "How about you, Ukiah? You up for a night ride?"

Ukiah let a smile grow on his face. Glad to feel included, he nodded as he said "It'll be good to burn a little energy I had building inside of me while being cooped up. Not to mention Arrow's going to be energetic as ever. How far is it?"

Fishlegs looked at the map, using his thumb to measure something. "Uh…hmm…" He whispered, trying to guess how far the island was "I'd say three to four hours. Give or take."

Looking at Hiccup, Ukiah then asked "Mind if you can get me another dagger? The Hunters did away with all my weapons."

"Even your crossbow?" Matt asked, looking at him in alarm.

"And my bolts." He added, looking at Matt with a saddened smile "I'm a little hurt about the crossbow, but I can get another one."

"It's settled then. We go tonight." Hiccup announced, rolling up the map "And Ukiah? We'll get you another set of weapons. I actually have an idea for your crossbow. But for now, I have an extra dagger you can have. I'll use my shield. While I get those things, can you find Snotlout? Fishlegs will get the Twins; Matt, you can go tell Heather what we're doing; and I'll go talk to Astrid."

Ukiah nodded happily, knowing Hiccup would be true to his word about rearming him.

"Of course you'll talk to Astrid." Matt teased, smirking at Hiccup's instant blushing face. With everyone laughing, Hiccup quickly stammered "Ju-just like you and Heather!"

Matt just laughed as he turned and walked out of the clubhouse, as did everyone else. "Yup. Because she lives in the same room as me!"

"Matt!" Hiccup shouted, still blushing.

Matt just shook his head as he continued walking away. As he got closer to his room he let his mind drift into the recent adventures. It was a miracle that their rescue mission ended the way it did; and not just with finding them. The fact that none of them were hurt or shot down during their search was incredible, and then the tiny fact that the missing three were all together. In all honesty, Ivar had no reason to keep Hiccup and Ukiah. He could have easily dumped them in the ocean or shipped them elsewhere; even to Viggo Grimborn himself. Breathing a sigh of relief, he simply shook his head as he made it to his deck. Not really paying attention to what was ahead of him, he opened the door and bumped into something scaly. Not long after, a jolt of electricity shot through his body.

"Gah!" He cried, realizing he walked right into Wasatch. He could tell it was him from the shock, given that Teton was still learning to reduce his lightning bolts when shocking him; and by consequence, were significantly stronger. "Hey bud!" He replied with a smile, scratching his chin "Sorry about that, forgot you guys were in here."

Wasatch just growled happily, always enjoying it when Matt scratched him. Turning, he looked over at Teton and Windshear, who were sleeping on their stone slabs. Matt just shook his head as he walked past his Skrill, wishing he could sleep too.

"Matt?" Heather called out, walking out of her little section on their loft "Hey! Finally done for the day?"

"Eh, not exactly." Matt answered, walking over to where all his equipment was mounted on the wall.

"Oh boy, I know that answer a little too well." She answered, shaking her head with a smile. Walking down the stairs, she asked "So what's up? What'd you guys find out?"

"Well. We found out that Ivar sent a Hunter to some specific islands to retrieve something." Matt answered, grabbing a leather backpack off his desk. Checking the inside of it, making sure he had some emergency rations and medical supplies, he then explained "The Hunter's name is Turik, and he's under specific orders to work in the night."

Heather's quickly turned to look out the window and saw the burning orange sky. "So…tonight."

"Yup!" Matt answered with a smile. Buckling his backpack closed, he then said "You don't have to com-"

"Oh shut up. You know I'm coming." She interrupted, laughing at the suggestion of her staying "I'm not going to let you, or anyone of my friends go anywhere without me if I can help it!"

"Ah there's the Heather everyone knows and loves." Matt teased "Er, I guess tolerates."

"Ugh." She growled, walking to her side of the room, where her axe and extra armor were hanging on the wall "You really are something else."

"Heh, I tease you because you can take it." He jeered, grabbing his hatchet off the wall "And you tease me back more often than not. I mean, it's not like we've had this conversation before."

Heather just smiled as she shook her head and strapped her axe to her back. Seeing Matt test the edge of his hatchet, she then commented "Been awhile since you picked that up. You've only used your knife recently."

"Well, I was recovering for a couple of months; and I haven't really needed to fight anyone on the ground recently." Matt explained, tossing the Gronckle Iron hatchet up and balancing it on his finger "But after what happened to Hiccup and Ukiah, I figured I'd like to be prepared rather than sorry I wasn't."

"Makes sense." She replied, nodding in agreement. Looking at him slide it in the small leather loop on his backpack, she then suggested "Maybe you and I can practice fighting sometime soon. Been awhile since we did that."

"You know, I'd like that." He answered, looking up and smiling at her "Maybe we can take a 'vacation' after this mission. Head to some random island to relax, practice, and do whatever to recharge the 'ol batteries."

"Batteries?" She asked, staring at him quizzically.

Matt just laughed, realizing what he just said. Walking up to the slumbering Teton to wake him up, he explained "Little objects that hold electricity in them. We use them to power stuff like my flashlight."

"Oh, I see." She replied with a whisper "Heh, sometimes I wish I could see your world for even an hour. Just to see what it's like."

"It'd probably blow your mind." He replied with a smile. Lightly petting Teton, he then said "Come on bud, time to go. It's your turn to be ridden."

Teton woke from his slumber, glaring at Matt angrily. Letting a larger bolt arc from his spike to Matt, he let a smirk grow as he watched his rider lurch backwards.

"Agh!" He cried out, feeling his muscles cramp and then release. "A little too much there bud." He groaned.

Heather just laughed, gently waking up Windshear. "Come on Matt, we better go before you're unable to; if Wasatch and Teton decide to keep shocking you into paralysis."

* * *

"You're positive about that? You're absolutely sure?" Viggo asked quietly, staring blankly at a withering candle.

"I saw them myself. Hiccup and his Night Fury. Ivar had the dragon fighting the Triple Stryke, and Hiccup was locked in the dragon cell." Ryker growled angrily "Somehow that black dragon befriended the Triple Stryke, and they both turned on me in the arena before I could secure them."

Viggo just frowned, shaking his head in frustration.

"Besides that, the rest of the dragon riders arrived when I was in the arena with the Night Fury. Here's something that yeh should know about the rider Matt Haddock. Yeh know, Hiccup's brother? He has two Skrills. He commands one of them while he rides the other." Ryker continued to say "I had to wait until all the dragon riders left before I could sail back here. I found Ivar too. Dead. And missing were the instructions that you gave him. He had a Nadder spine in his heart, which means it was Astrid and her dragon."

"Of course he's dead; and unfortunate that they took the instructions I gave him. No doubt the map that has my shipyard location too." Viggo growled, finally looking up at his brother "But this actually provides an opportunity for us. I'm going to ask Darien to do something for me in that regard; and as far as Matt Haddock flying two Skrills, it wouldn't be a challenge if the Haddocks' didn't have some sort of trick. The Grimborns against the Haddocks; brothers versus brothers. Dragon Hunters fighting Dragon Riders. Quite the tale will come of this."

"Aye, I'm still longing to run my sword through Matt." Ryker growled, taking a seat across from Viggo "That arrogant, smug smile of his was the last thing I saw before I had to leave. The whelp."

"You'll have your revenge in time brother. I'm already getting an idea that may end the Haddocks as we know. At least some of their Riders." Viggo began to say quietly. "I have to say though, what I'm most disappointed in is that I keep hearing how Hiccup gets captured, but is able to get free before we can capitalize on his imprisonment. He'd make great bait for not only the rest of the riders, but also for Berk and their leaders. We could negotiate for their dragons and treasures."

"That's why I sent a letter to all our captains and lieutenants." Darien's voice cut in.

The two Grimborns turned to see Darien standing in the doorway, with Banshee's blue glow behind her; creating an eerie silhouette. "I sent multiple letters to everyone in power or in charge of something, to look out for Hiccup and Toothless. If they get captured, there'll be no chance that they can escape again. Or any of the Riders for that manner."

"Thank you Darien, I didn't think I'd have to tell my men to remain diligent when it came to keeping prisoners." Viggo groaned, rubbing his head as if it hurt "I think I'm going to have to replace some of them."

"Unfortunately, the Triple Stryke is also missing. I imagine it left with all the other dragons in the fight arena." Darien continued to say, turning to walk out "I'll take my fleet and collect a few more dragons to help cover the losses."

"No Darien, not you." Viggo said tiredly, looking up at Ryker "Ryker, you go and fill our ships with dragons. I need Darien to do a specific task for us."

Ryker nodded, standing up from his seat "Very well brother, I'll be back soon." Walking past Darien, he whispered to her "Yeh better be help to him. He's getting tired of losing." At that he kept walking past her.

Unsure of what he meant by that, Darien then took a seat across from Viggo.

"I have a question Darien, one that's been on my mind for a few days." Viggo began to say, sitting back in his chair "And I want you to answer honestly. As usual."

"Alright, what do you want to know?" She asked, now completely confused at the request; as well as the task he was giving her.

"Why do you want to make your family's name great? What's your drive and reasoning?" He asked, looking at her sincerely.

Taken back by the question, she asked "Why do you want to know?"

Viggo just looked at her with understanding eyes "Whatever your reason is, it's one that made you feel that working with me was the best way to accomplish it. I know you Darien, better than you think. You're methodical; patient; well, generally patient; and always thinking. You do your homework. So whatever your reason is, it made you abandon Dagur who was your own ancestor. You were willing to kill Heather, who is also a relative. And then you've been nothing but helpful and willing for me. What is your reason? And why is it your reason?"

Darien thought about what he was asking, trying to think of the words to explain her motivation. It was the first time he ever asked about her and her purpose for coming here. Even Dagur never asked her that. Lightly shaking her head, she explained "I…I guess because you're the best way to achieve victory. Dagur was always too complicated. He always tried to outsmart Hiccup and the riders, when all he had to do was what you're doing. Run your own agenda and twist the Riders into doing what we need them to do. Not to worry about fighting them."

"What kind of victory are you expecting? What kind of…triumph, are you looking for that you think would suffice your need to glorify your family's name?" Viggo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of the conditions that needed to be accomplished. "Nothing will matter until Hiccup is dead. Hiccup and Toothless. And I guess Matt too, since he's here." Looking at Viggo, she explained "Before I came here, my family's history was that Dagur died in prison, being the last 'Chief' of our family line. We lived in the shadow of the Haddock's from his fall to my time." Growling angrily, she then added "Even I couldn't get away from the Haddock's 'glory'. Matt was an amazing snowboarder, and received all the attention in the world." Looking up at Viggo with a fire in her eyes "Until they're dead, I can't claim that my family is great. Not while the Haddocks exist. That's why I'm working with you. You've taught me everything to be successful, and you have the highest chance for me to end them. I owe you my loyalty, since you're the reason why I'm a threat to them now."

Viggo nodded, letting a small smile grow on his face. "Now that I know what your end goal is, I feel more confident in my decision. I'm giving you a promotion, a big one."

"Oh? What is that?" Darien asked, shocked at the sudden promotion.

"I'm putting you in charge of my shipyard." Viggo announced "I want you there while I send your fleet with a couple extra ships for maintenance and repairs."

"What?! Why?" She gasped, staring at him in disbelief. Seeing him raise an eyebrow, she quickly said "I mean, I'm honored that you're entrusting me with it, but why? Why me?"

Smiling, Viggo began to explain "Honestly, it's a temporary position. A test if you will. I'm using it as a trap to bait in Hiccup and the riders, but leaving it up to you as to how."

"Oh? To capture them?" She asked, smiling at the idea.

"No. To kill them." Viggo replied resolutely. Seeing her wide eyes, he explained "Hiccup and his friends have been more than a thorn in my side of recent. I lost three ports and camps to them. They disrupted the dragon fighting arena that was bringing in a healthy amount of coin. They also cost me my flagship with the Buffalord dragon as well and sunk more than enough ships that could have made up another fleet. So their usefulness is beginning to run out. We need to thin them before we manipulate them for our gains again."

"That's why you want me at your shipyard." Darien whispered, connecting the dots with her promotion "You're giving me an opportunity to kill them."

"Because it means a lot to you, and think of this as a final test for you. You succeed, you'll be greatly rewarded." Viggo explained "You should know that I remember my friends just like my enemies."

"Well, I guess this keeps your neck safe too." Darien then said, letting an evil smile grow on her face.

Shrugging with a smile, Viggo quickly admitted "There's that too; I do expect some loss of life and ships. But if you do this right, they'll strike at a target they think is lightly defended; only to lose some of their friends in the process. Who knows? With you and Banshee, you might be able to stop them all!"

"Oh, I'll give them a surprise." Darien growled, her eyes narrowing "And I'll bring you their heads. Dragons and riders."

"I have no doubt that you will." Viggo replied with a confident smile. Standing up, he walked around his desk and grabbed her is a small hug "Make them pay; for my sake, and your family's sake. If you succeed at this, you will be given a lifelong position along my side. I promise you."

* * *

"Alright, everyone with their teammates?" Hiccup asked aloud, letting Toothless hover to a stop.

"We're all set Hiccup." Astrid called out, lining herself up with the twins. She was partnered with them since she was the one that was most able to keep them in line. Hopefully.

"Yeah, just one question." Snotlout growled, glaring at Hiccup "Why am I not partnered with Heather?"

Heather let out a long groan, followed by the twins laughing at her.

"The same reason I'm not." Matt called out while frowning at him "We're partnered in these groups so we can cover as much ground as possible."

"Thank you, Matt." Hiccup replied with relieved face. He didn't want to separate Heather and Matt, but it was true; Matt with his Skrills were more than able to scout out almost all the islands by themselves, given that Teton and Wasatch literally ride on lightning. For that reason, Matt was going to be on standby, ready to help anyone that may need it.

"Fine." Snotlout growled angrily, glaring at Matt. Turning to Heather, he then winked at her, saying "I guess we'll go on a date another time then."

Heather groaned a second time, rolling her eyes and looking away from him.

"Alright, remember the plan. If you find the Hunters, have your dragon signal into the sky." Hiccup began to instruct "The entire point of this mission is to learn why they were sent here in the first place, and to stop them from getting what Viggo wants, got it?"

Everyone nodded, understanding the mission.

Seeing that they all understood, he then began to say "Astrid and the twins will take the two northern islands. Fishlegs and Heather will look at the larger, more eastern one."

"Leaving you and Snotlout with the southern one." Ukiah finished for him, letting Arrow hover next to his new friend, Sleuther. Since the gang brought the Triple Stryke home, and becoming friends with Arrow, he refused to leave their side. He continued to stay close to them and even mimicking Ukiah's and Arrow's actions since he was still re-learning to be on his own. Finishing Hiccup's comment, Ukiah then said "Arrow and I will be on the west island with Sleuther."

"Are you sure you don't want me to tag along with Ukiah?" Matt asked Hiccup, looking over to Ukiah with worry "He only has a dagger. And I guess two pretty vicious dragons."

"No. I need you flying over all the islands." Hiccup answered "You're the fastest and have two dragons; that makes you perfect to be the first one to respond to anyone. Ukiah, Heather, Astrid, the twins, even me. Besides, Ukiah also has two dragons with him."

"Alright." Matt replied, looking a little disappointed at his responsibility. Turning to Heather, he then let a small smile grow on his face "Make sure you're careful. I don't want to save your hide again."

"Again? When was the last time you saved me?" Heather quickly fired back, glaring at him.

"Uh, d-don't worry Matt." Fishlegs began to speak up. Letting Meatlug hover closer to Windshear, he continued to say "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

"I know you will Fishlegs." Matt replied with a wide smile "That's why I'm ok with her going with you."

"Why is everyone concerned about me? I'm a warrior, remember?!" Heather cried angrily, glaring at both Matt and Fishlegs "If anything, we should be worried about Hiccup and Ukiah! They were the ones captured recently!"

Matt laughed, shaking his head at her angry reaction. Turning to Hiccup, he then said "Well if we're done here, we should get going and find these Hunters. The night's not getting longer."

"Sounds good. Let's break everyone!" Hiccup shouted, turning towards his island.

Everyone then split up, breaking into their teams and towards their designated islands. Hiccup and Snotlout both started to fly towards the southern island. Focusing on the approaching island, his attention to was pulled away as Snotlout began to say aloud "So I need you to put in a good word for me, Hiccup."

"Huh? What?" He replied, looking at him in confusion "With who? Astrid?"

"Pppphhh. Puhlease!" Snotlout scoffed, rolling his eyes with his overconfident smile "I'm so over Astrid. You can have her."

"Oh wow…thanks." Hiccup replied sarcastically, trying hard to hide his smile from Snotlout "I appreciate that."

"Anytime, I'm a giver." Came the quick reply "Listen, I know Heather's been dying to approach me."

Hiccup coughed out loud, staring at him with wide eyes. "Wh-what? What do you mean she's been 'dying' to approach you?"

Snotlout explained "She's just too nervous to talk to me. That's why she's been with Matt for so long. He's weak and not intimidating. Her fears got her 'scurred' of me."

Hiccup quickly tried to kill the growing fire inside Snotlout, saying "Uh…I don't think Heather gets 'scurred', Snotlout. Also, I think Heather likes being with Matt for a couple of different reasons…and none of those are what you said. I mean, she moved into his room with him!"

"Because she was too nervous to even ask if she could stay with me!" Snotlout quickly countered "If you tell her that she can just talk to me, then she'll probably move in with me!"

"Not likely. Besides! Matt's not exactly weak as you said. He's trained two Skrills and walked away from them! Not to mention how many times he's been bed ridden from his injuries! He even beat Heather in a fight when she took him prisoner!" Hiccup began to reply, not believing that Snotlout was trying to get Heather "He's pretty tough. And can be, uh, violent sometimes."

"See?! He's toxic to her!" Snotlout argued, still pressing his point.

Shaking his head, Hiccup then thought of something "You know, I just don't think you're ready for a woman like Heather. She's far too, uh, sincere, honest, brave-"

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup." Snotlout interrupted "I can fake honesty, I can fake sincerity, I can fake all those things! Trust me Hiccup, I got that covered."

"Oh yeah, and by the way, she's smart too." Hiccup added, now in complete disbelief.

"I can fake being smarters." Snotlout huffed quietly to himself. Seeing Hiccup turn away, he then begged "Please Hiccup! Just tell her that I'm open and am more than happy to talk about her and me dating each other!"

"Ugh!" He sighed, shaking his head in despair "Fine! I'll pass the message. But I don't promise anything will come of it. She really likes Matt you know. I think she's already made a choice."

"Not when she learns there's another option!" Snotlout replied confidently, looking ahead and smiling as he thought of the near future "Guess I'll have to rearrange my room when I get back; you know, to make room for her."

Hiccup could only continue to shake his head, as there was no other suitable reaction. Looking ahead, he then let his thoughts focus on what needed to be done, and what they needed to find that the Hunters were looking for.

* * *

Fishlegs and Heather were gliding over some rolling hills, with the occasional grove of trees or boulders that seemed to plague their given island. However, no matter where they looked, they couldn't find anything that even hinted that the Hunters were there. No cages, catapults, arrows, or even a ship!

Heather let out a frustrated huff, letting the thought flash through her mind that they were too late, and the Hunters had already left.

Fishlegs however, was having something else on his mind. He'd actually been secretly longing for the chance to be with Heather alone, without it being obvious that he had a question for her. Flying alongside her, he tried to make eye contact with her, to have her ask him what was on his mind. After a few minutes of fruitless effort, he let out a nervous huff as he knew he wouldn't be able to sway her determined spirit from diligently scanning ahead. "So…no sign of the Hunters, huh?" He asked aloud, trying to spark a conversation.

Heather's head whipped around, glaring at him angrily. Putting her finger to her lips, she then hissed "Shh! I know we're on dragons, but let's not give our position away so easily! Everything helps when it comes to being stealthy."

Fishlegs instantly clamped up, realizing he just mad her angry. Just as he was sure he blew it, he was relieved when he watched her return looking forward and say "But…yeah. I don't think they're on this island. I didn't see any sign of Hunters being here; and they're pretty easy to find some hints that they've been here. They're not very good at cleaning up after themselves."

"Yeah, definitely." Fishlegs replied, though making sure his voice was quiet as well "They're probably on another island."

"Probably." Heather answered back, still scanning the ground.

"Who knows, maybe Matt will see them up from where he is." He continued to say, watching her reaction.

"Heh, wouldn't surprise me if he did." She commented, shaking her head at the subject "He always seems to be pulled into the worse of situations."

"Are you worried about him?" He asked, finally getting to what he wanted to talk about.

"No." She quickly replied, turning to him and flashing a smile "He's Matt! Plus he's a Haddock! They always seem to come out on top."

"Is-is that why you like him?" Fishlegs timidly asked, unsure if he crossed a line that he couldn't go back.

Heather just gaped at him, shocked at the question. "Wh-what did you say?" She asked in surprise "What do you mean if that's why I like him?"

"I-I uh…" Fishlegs stammered, knowing he caught her off guard. Sighing, he simply shook his head as he asked "I just was wondering how, uh, serious you two are."

Heather instantly blushed a bright red. Turning away from him, she simply stammered "That's a little personal don't you think? And I never expected you to ask a question like that, Fishlegs."

"Listen, I'm sorry I just made this awkward!" Fishlegs cried out "It's just…" Looking down, he then quietly explained "Everyone likes you. Including me."

Heather just turned and looked at him, still blushing from the sudden confession.

"I guess I just wanted to know for myself if you and Matt were, uh, official." He continued to say "I mean, you two haven't actually told us that you were." Rubbing the back of his head, he explained "I just wanted to know what you liked about him, so that I could try and do those things too."

Heather let a small, sincere smile grow on her red face. "Fishlegs. You're a kind and thoughtful person! It's just Matt and I have been through a lot with each other; with both amazing and terrifying experiences. I guess we haven't really thought about, I don't know, announcing it."

"Sorry." Fishlegs began to apologize "I…I guess I kind of dreamed that-"

"Fishlegs!" Heather quickly said, stopping Windshear. Looking at him in the eye, she continued to say "Listen. I think you're a great friend. I hope this doesn't change how we act together, but Matt and I are serious with each other. But I will answer your question with why I like him." Flashing him a soft smile, she explained "He's very thoughtful and caring, like you. I can't really think of a time he put himself before anyone else. He's loyal and will fight to make things right, even if he's hopelessly outmatched. Plus, he's a bit unique. I mean, he's a snowboarder from a different time! And the crazy thing is, I don't think I know everything about him."

Fishlegs let a small smile grow on his face too, as he said "I figured those were reasons why you liked him. It's not hard to see how you two feel about each othe-"

Suddenly a bright orange flash lit up the night sky. The two and their dragons quickly turned to face the explosion.

"The north island!" Fishlegs cried out "That's Astrid's and the twin's! They must've found the Hunters!"

"Let's go!" Heather shouted, urging Windshear forward.

The two quickly began to fly towards the island, still in the distance. Looking ahead, Heather stared into the night, as if to interrogate it to reveal Astrid, the twins, or the Hunters. Now well over the ocean, she glanced to her left to see Hiccup and Snotlout flying towards the island as well, with Ukiah and his dragons tailing behind. Hiccup had an anxious look on his face, knowing that it was Stormfly that had shot the signal.

Sensing his worry, Heather let Windshear glide closer to the Toothless, allowing her to say "Don't worry Hiccup. Astrid and the others will be fine."

Realizing that he was getting called out, Hiccup faced her with a sheepish smile growing on his face "Yeah, I know. It's hard not to be worried though."

"Think of it this way. If they did get them, they're not going to leave without us knowing about it. Unlike you and Ukiah!" Heather continued to say with a reassuring smile.

Before Hiccup could reply, a bright, white flash tore through the sky above them. The entire group looked up to see several lightning bolts spider web in the black sky, right over the island they were heading to.

"Looks like Matt beat us there." Hiccup commented, letting a relief flood his face. He felt better knowing someone else was there helping.

"I know you told me, but to see him actually ride lightning!" Ukiah commented, staring at where the lightning was "That's incredible!"

"Boy aren't you a quick one?" Snotlout huffed sarcastically, glaring at Ukiah "That's why he was left up there! He's got the fastest dragons!"

"Debatable." Hiccup quickly said with a smile. Turning to Ukiah, he then said "We'll teach you all that we know about dragons when we get back. You can say a lot was updated since you last read the Dragon Book!"

"Hey, eyes up!" Heather shouted, gripping the handles on her saddle "We're here!"

Hiccup quickly returned his attention ahead of him. Flying over the cliff plagued shoreline, he scanned for any sign of Astrid, the Twins, or even Matt. Flying over a large grove of trees, his fears were finally put to ease. There was a large bay ahead, with a Hunters ship moored there. Hovering outside the range of the ship, was Astrid, who promptly saw the group.

"Hiccup!" She shouted in distress "We tried to stop them, but they have an egg on that ship!"

Being able to stop worrying about her, Hiccup then began to instruct the gang. "Everyone take their partners and surround the ship. They can't hit all of us at once. If your teammate goes down, you take care of them! Forget the ship! Got it?"

"Got it!" Heather and Fishlegs shouted in unison. Just as they were diving to the left, a large lightning strike rained down onto the ship. Heather quickly glanced up to see Matt, Wasatch, and Teton circling high above the ship! With Wasatch, radiating a massive lightning storm and letting massive bolts strike at the ship. Smiling, she knew they had this fight done with; it was just a matter of time until the Hunters either surrendered, or they were sunk.

"Fire!" A loud cry sounded from the ship.

To Heather's delight, she watched the dragon egg get launched from the ship. The twins were already on a course to catch it too!

"Hey babe! Watch this!" Snotlout's voice shouted next to her. Whipping her head in his direction, she stared in a new horror as she saw him fly towards the egg. "Get away twidiots! I got this!" He shouted, focusing on intercepting the egg.

"No! Get away Snotlout!" Ruffnut shouted back.

Heather gasped as she watched him and the twins crash into each other, allowing the egg to slip in-between them. "No!" She shouted, watching it fall towards the jagged rocks below.

Fishlegs saw what was going to happen long before Heather, and already positioned Meatlug below it. Seeing that it was going to be out of arms reach, he spun Meatlug around and batted the egg back up, right towards the remaining Riders.

"Agh!" Ukiah shouted, trying to catch the egg as it arched over him and just out of reach "Astrid!" He shouted, watching it fall back towards her.

Astrid banked Stormfly around, knowing she was well past being able to catch it. Spinning Stormfly, she let her wing bat it right towards Heather. "Heather! Catch!" She shouted, watching it fling up towards her.

"I got it!" Heather shouted, seeing it rise over her and Windshear. Leaping onto her feet, she stood on her saddle as she reached up to grab the egg. She felt it roll off her fingertips, which was now behind her. She watched in both relief and horror as she saw the egg get guided down by Windshear's tail onto the ground. The horror feeling came as she felt herself lose balance and begin to go into a free fall over the cliffside!

"Agh!" She screamed, flinging her arms around as she began to tumble down to the rocky shore below.

Windshear let out a cry of panic, unable to catch her with her tail as she was slowing the egg's fall with it.

Heather didn't see or remember much of the fall, other than the terrifying feeling that flooded through her. Just as she was sure to smash into one of the rocks below, she felt her foot get grabbed, stopping her from falling any further. Getting her sense of direction back, she looked up to see one of Wasatch's claws holding her by her boot and upside down.

"God, Heather!" Matt's voice called out next to her, making her turn to face him. There, hovering on Teton just below her so that he was eye level with her, he just shook his head as he let Teton get him closer to her "I was kidding about me saving your hide. Didn't think you'd actually jump off of Windshear just to get me to save you."

Letting a relieved expression flood her face, she just shook her head and smiled, saying "I guess I didn't want to be away from you any longer." Looking around, she then asked "Did we get the egg? Is it safe?"

Smiling, Matt laughed as he answered "Yeah, Hiccup got it as it was rolling off on the other side of the cliff. Now, quit squirming and let me grab you. Let's get you right side up." Heather smiled as Matt grabbed her arm and back, as if to flip her over. "Alright Wasatch, let her go."

Heather instantly felt dropped. Matt quickly flipped her over and pulled her into him, allowing her to plant her feet solidly on Teton.

"Whew." She huffed, looking down below to see how far of a fall she had left "Thanks Matt."

"Heather, are you alright?" Astrid asked, letting Stormfly hover next to Teton.

"I am now! Especially now that the egg's safe!" She replied with a wide smile.

"The egg doesn't matter if you got yourself killed." Ukiah's voice boomed down. Both Arrow and Sleuther were now hovering above them, all three looking down at her. Ukiah's face was scowling at her "That wasn't worth sacrificing yourself."

"If you say so." Heather retorted back "But we still got it safe and I'm fine."

"On that note," Hiccup interrupted, making everyone turn to look at him. On his lap was the egg, though it was a lot larger than they thought, now being able to see it up close and not flying through the air. "How about we get back to the Edge while we're all in one piece? Including the egg."

Heather smiled as everyone turned and began to head back home. Looking at Matt, who continued to hold her, she asked "Any chance I can ride with you back home?"

"What do you think?" He scoffed, pretending to be angry with her "I'm not letting you ride by yourself until you go through Dragon Training again! If you can't stay on your dragon, I'm not letting you do anything by yourself!"

"Ugh, Matt!" She groaned, realizing she just gave him another reason to tease her with.

Laughing, Matt let Teton follow the others, with Wasatch and Windshear close behind. "Come on, let's go home. I'm exhausted."

* * *

 _ **Finally! You have no idea how many times I had to re-write this chapter. On a couple of separate occasions, I lost the save file, rendering me back clear to the beginning of the chapter; then, as I was transferring the file to my laptop to work on during the holiday, I accidentally replaced the file I needed with an older one, which once again set me back to the beginning of the chapter. It feels good to finally get this posted! It's been way too much of a struggle for just one chapter.**_

 ** _And that is why I always backup my backups._**

 ** _Hope you enjoyed reading it! We may be...a little less than half way? Depends on how many chapters the next couple of events take up. Anyways, enjoy!_**

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


	11. Chapter 11: Deathsong Album

**Chapter Eleven: Deathsong Album**

* * *

"Yaaaoooohhhh!" Matt yawned, stretching his arms as he tried to wake himself up. Rubbing his face to try and get rid of the drowsy feeling, he reluctantly moved his covers off of him and sat up. It had to be late afternoon. At least noon. "Guess Heather let me sleep in a little bit." He grunted, rolling to the side of his bed. Standing up, he looked at himself through a mirror to try and mat down his hair, as he usually acquired a messy bed head after sleeping. His scar was a lot more visible with his hair ruffled, as it usually was whenever he woke up. He never usually cared about combing his hair until recently, because he knew Hiccup often beat himself up whenever he saw the scar; at least when it was more visible.

"Is that Matt actually getting up?" Heather's voice called out, thick with sarcasm and teasing.

Smiling, Matt forgot about the hair and opened the door that led out to the loft. Walking out, he saw her, Windshear, Wasatch, and Teton down below. She was sitting at her desk, sharpening her axe; with Windshear, laying her head on the desk and watching her work. Wasatch and Teton were busy shooting each other with lightning bolts, trying to keep a constant bolt arcing between the two; a game they played when they were bored.

Looking down at her, he called out "I guess I am. Though I'm surprised you let me sleep in."

"You earned it." She explained "Since you've been running around non-stop the past couple days and then stopped me from becoming a puddle last night."

"Yeah? Well I guess I need to save you more often then, if that's what lets me sleep in." Matt teased, grabbing a green tunic from off his door. Walking down the stairs, he then commented "Maybe we should go on another trek. Let's let you partner up with Snotlout too; that way it's almost a guaranteed thing that something will go wrong."

"I'll pass." Heather huffed, rolling her eyes "It'd just be another guy asking about our relationship."

"Wait, what?" Matt gasped, instantly stopping in his tracks. Staring at her in confusion, he then asked "What do you mean 'asking about our relationship'? Did Fishlegs ask you that?"

Heather sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she explained "Kind of. He wanted to know if we were actually a couple. I guess he wanted to try and, uh, it's weird to say this, but date me."

Matt just stared at her with wide eyes, blown away at the news.

"I stopped it from going any further." Heather quickly began to explain "He already assumed that we like each other, he just wanted to know for himself."

"He could have asked me." Matt huffed, shaking his head and walking to his side of the room "Bro's don't do things behind each other's back."

"Don't get mad at him." Heather quickly called out, standing up from her chair and walking over to him "He stopped asking and pushing when I told him that I really liked you."

Matt just nodded, still thinking of how Fishlegs got the gumption to ask Heather something like that. Letting out a sigh, he just smiled as he shook his head "Well, I guess it could have been Snotlout. Though he still has no problem telling you that you should date him."

"That's another thing." Heather began to say sheepishly "I don't feel the same way as him, but he's been pushing Hiccup to try and set us up together. Hiccup told me this morning at breakfast."

"What?!" Matt yelled, staring at her with wide eyes "Does anyone not have eyes? Can they not see that we're…you know! Steady?!"

Heather laughed, shaking her head at Matt's reaction "Didn't know you were that defensive about me! Plus it's Snotlout. He'll keep trying until the end of time!"

"Ugh…man." Matt groaned, sitting down in his chair. Finally putting his tunic on, he then whispered "Guess I need to have a pow wow with everyone."

"Don't be hard on them." Heather quietly said, taking a seat on his desk "Fishlegs was just trying, and Snotlout was being himself."

Letting a smile grow on his face, Matt just looked up at her and said "Well, I guess I can't blame them. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

Heather instantly blushed at the comment, still not used to being praised as such. "Whatever!" She quickly replied, trying to downplay the compliment "I know you and Astrid had a flare for each other for bit!"

Matt's face instantly went beet red. "How did you know?! I mean, we neve- we didn't-"

Heather just laughed at him, hearing him stumble and stutter "We all saw it. But don't worry, I know you two are just staying as friends."

"She told you that we talk with each other, didn't she?" Matt growled, glaring at her and making his eyes demand to tell him the truth.

"She did. About personal things too." She quickly admitted, still smiling at him "I asked her after you guys saved me from Dagur and the Hunters. Well, when we were all captured. I wasn't sure if you two were serious with each other and I had to find out." Laughing, she lightly punched him in the shoulder "I guess this is something I get to hold over your head!"

"Great." Matt muttered, shaking his head in disbelief "To be fair, I never actually thought that we were even a couple! It just so happened to look like it when I came back."

"Good to see you two already arguing with each other." Hiccup announced, smiling as he walked into the room. Looking at them, he then asked "Did you have to wake him up, Heather?"

Smiling, she just looked down at him and ruffled his hair. "Not today. He was able to get out of bed on his own."

"Gall you two are relentless." Matt huffed, glaring at her and swatting her hand away. Without saying anything, he reached into his desk and pulled out his beanie hat. Sliding it over so it would cover his scar, he then turned towards Hiccup and asked "So how much did I sleep through? Did you learn what kind of egg the Hunters were trying to take?"

"No. There's nothing in the Dragon Book or in the few Dragon Eye notes about it. Or hatching it." He replied, his eyes furrowing "I don't think it's a Razorwhip egg, or a Triple Stryke."

"What about a Sand Wraith?" Heather asked, jumping in the conversation "We still don't know much about Ukiah's dragon, Arrow."

"True, but Arrow's just turned a blind eye to it. I'd imagine he'd recognize it if he saw one…" Hiccup huffed, still stumped by the mystery.

"Maybe because it's not his egg." Matt suggested "He has no reason to connect or bond with it."

"Maybe." Hiccup whispered, furrowing his eyebrows in frustration.

Suddenly a screech sounded from outside, almost like a baby screaming its head off!

"Wha-what's that?!" Matt asked aloud, staring out of his doorway.

"I don't know!" Hiccup cried, sprinting out "I bet the twins had something to do with it though!"

Matt and Heather were quick on his heels, rushing outside and leaving their dragons behind and staring at them in curiosity. Running along the deck and up the ramp, it was easy to tell where the sound was coming from. The clubhouse. Being in front, Hiccup was the first to arrive; who promptly stopped at the doorway.

"Look ou-" Matt tried to call out, not prepared for the stop. Wham! Too late! Everyone stared as the two Haddock's barreled into the clubhouse. The screeching was unbearable, making Matt's first reaction to cover his ears instead of trying to get off of Hiccup.

"Are you two alright?" Astrid asked out loud, trying to sound over crying.

"Urgh, yeah." Hiccup grunted, letting Matt roll off of him. Sitting up, he covered his ears and looked up to see exactly what was making the terrible wailing. A light orange baby dragon was sitting on the center mantle of the clubhouse, screeching its head off. It had wings on its back and a longer tail. It had smaller arms and then larger legs, showing that it probably stood on its two legs. It also had long, blue fins on it, acting like streamers.

"What in all your god's names is that thing?!" Matt yelled above the screaming. Keeping his ears covered, he then said "It sounds worse than nails on a chalkboard!"

"I've never seen a dragon like this before. Have you Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked loudly, looking at Hiccup with a mixture of excitement and agony.

"It looks familiar, but I can't really place it." Hiccup replied, staring at it in confusion.

The baby dragon then immediately screeched an octave higher, making every dragon rider in the clubhouse cover their ears; except Matt, who promptly pushed his hands over his ears even harder than before.

"By the blood of my dead tribe! What is that noise?!" Ukiah's voice roared, making everyone turn to see him walk into the club house. Behind him were both Arrow and Sleuther, who were both cringing at the wailing. "Ugh! We could hear that thing clear from the forest where we were hunting!"

"We don't know exactly what it is." Hiccup answered, staring at the dragon "I don't even know how to calm it down!"

"If it was just born, maybe it's just getting its lungs." Heather suggested, walking up to the newborn baby "You know, to strengthen its lungs."

"Could be. But by the sound of it, he's had some pretty healthy lungs to start with!" Matt huffed.

Grabbing the crying dragon, Heather cradled it in her arms, saying "Come on, how long can it really cry?"

"Of course!" Snotlout quickly shouted, darting right next to Heather. Matt frowned, knowing full well what he was trying to do, to which he just shook his head.

"Well, I guess that's all we can do." Hiccup replied, agreeing with the plan. "You mind watching him first Heather?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd love to." She answered with a smile. Walking out of the club house, she then said aloud "Come on little guy. Let's go down by the bay and play on the beach. Maybe that'll calm you down.

Snotlout was right next to her, saying "Ooh! I bet skipping rocks would distract it! Or making a sand castle"

Matt was about to cut in and tell Snotlout to bug off, but was stopped by Hiccup. "Let him go. He's just clueless about you and Heather."

"Hmph." Matt grunted, turning to watch them and the ear splitting screeching slowly disappear "Don't know why it's bothering me now. He's always been like that with her. Probably because I now know he's trying to get her."

"Come on!" Hiccup smiled, pulling Matt along "Let's check out the Dragon Book and see if we can't figure out what that dragon is. Besides, it'll give you the needed practice to read our writing."

"Yeah, guess that'd be good." He huffed, shaking his head as he followed him towards his room "I don't know how you did it Hiccup. How'd you deal with Snotlout hitting on Astrid?"

"Because I know her." He answered "She can handle herself, and will choose what will be best for her." Glancing at Matt, he then flashed a smile "I was worried when you two were talking a lot."

"There it goes again! That's the second time it's been brought up!" Matt cried out in anger "I promise that nothing was serious between us! We were just talking!"

Laughing, Hiccup just threw his arm around Matt and said "Forget about it. Come on! Maybe we'll find something on how to calm it down."

* * *

"Oh. My. Gods!" Snotlout roared angrily, glaring at the wailing baby dragon "Can someone do something to shut that thing up?!"

After the entire day of babysitting it, the entire gang had met back up at the dragon hanger, letting the dragon continue to cry in one of the stalls; which was impressive in its own way, given that it never actually stopped once the entire day.

"Aww…" Heather whispered, looking at it with sorrow "It probably needs its mother. Poor thing all by itself."

"That's what I was trying to say." Snotlout quickly corrected, standing straight up and looking at Heather with a smile "Because I'm so sincere. And of course all these fools don't listen, but I listen."

Matt groaned and rolled his eyes as he walked up to Heather. "Listen, this thing isn't going to stop crying anytime soon. The best thing we can do is to let it tire itself and fall asleep on its own."

"In here. With all our dragons, right?" Fishlegs quickly asked, eyeing Matt curiously.

"That's the idea." Matt answered. Gesturing to the stall, he then sarcastically added "It's not like we already gave it some water and food; while preparing a bed for it."

"There's no way our dragons can sleep with it in here!" He cried out, looking at Hiccup with concern.

"Actually, there's nowhere that we can sleep without hearing it." Ukiah added, leaning against another stall and watching the crying dragon "I tried going out hunting again, and I had to go clear to either the forest or the canyons to get out ear range from that hellish cry."

"I got it!" Tuffnut yelled, making everyone turn to stare at him with wide eyes.

"What? What is it?!" Hiccup asked anxiously, thinking that a possible solution was at hand.

"Garffiljorg!" He replied with a wide smile.

"What?" Fishlegs asked, staring at him in confusion.

"Its name." He explained, still keeping his smile.

"Who cares what we call it." Ruffnut whined, keeping her hands pressed against her head "It's not like it's listening to us anyways."

Heather just stared at the screeching dragon. The familiar feeling of being alone and helpless began to sink in.

"Come on guys. Maybe if we shut our doors, plug our ears, and sleep under our beds, we'll get a wink of sleep." Hiccup groaned, walking out of the hanger "Ugh, at least our heads won't explode!"

Heather just looked at the shrieking dragon with sadness, which Matt instantly recognized. Walking to her, he rested his hand on her shoulder and whispered "Come on, we'll think of something in the morning. Right now, we're all tired and need to recharge. This guy wore us all out, and you were with him most the day."

Nodding, Heather slowly turned and walked out with him. Staring at nothing, she stumbled as she tripped on something.

"Chicken!" Tuffnut shouted in a panic.

Heather whirled around to see Tuffnut's chicken also stumble past her, having tripped her. "Sorry Tuffnut! Didn't see her there."

"Ah, it's alright." Tuffnut replied with a wide smile "She gets her feathers ruffled whenever Barf and Belch play with her."

Taking one last look at the screeching dragon, Heather sighed as she let Matt continue to guide her out. "I just…I feel the same way about Garff as I did about Ukiah; I don't want people to be alone. Without family or a friend to depend on."

Wincing as the screeching went a pitch higher, Matt quickly consoled "I've said this before Heather, you're the most thoughtful and caring person I've ever- Agh!"

Snotlout quickly butted in-between the two, knocking Matt over. "Like me! I'm caring!"

"Punk!" Matt groaned, rolling over and laying on his elbows. Glaring at him, he then huffed sarcastically "So caring that you knocked me over!"

Heather laughed quietly, kneeling over Matt and picking him up. Before she could pull him up, Snotlout quickly grabbed him by the tunic and hefted him up. "Sorry Matt! Let me help you!" He grunted, setting him on his feet. Dusting him off, he then flashed a smile at Heather and said "See? Caring!"

"Snotlout!" Matt growled, narrowing his eyes.

"HEY! HE STOPP- Oh, I mean, he stopped crying!" Hiccup interrupted, making the three turn to see that the dragon had indeed stopped crying.

"What the?" Matt whispered, staring at the dragon in disbelief.

There, in the stall, was the dragon and Chicken. Chicken was clucking with a rhythm and beat to it, as if singing to it.

"Hah! Chicken sang to him!" Tuffnut replied with a smile, looking at Chicken with satisfaction "Oh the pipes on that chicken."

Everyone began to walk back inside, staring at the singing chicken and now quiet dragon. Just as everyone gathered around, the dragon looked at the chicken excitedly and shot out orange liquid. Matt stared in shock as the liquid hardened and immobilized her. The dragon then licked its lips and lunged at Chicken.

"Chicken!" Tuffnut cried in horror, running to Chicken. Grabbing her and moving her out of way of the charging dragon, he shouted "Bad! Bad dragon!" Looking at Chicken in horror, he then said "Uh…does this look familiar to anyone but me?! Impenetrable cocoon of amber, vicious hungry dragon, terrified Vikings?"

"We know Tuffnut…" Fishlegs replied "It's a-"

"I don't know." Matt called out, interrupting Fishlegs "What is that stuff?"

"Amber of a Deathsong." Hiccup answered, looking at the baby dragon with a worried expression "That is a baby Deathsong."

"Oh, that's just perfect!" Snotlout shouted into the air, storming off and out of the hanger.

Heather just watched him leave and then glanced back at the dragon, resuming its screeching.

"I have a feeling you're going to have to fill the two of us in about what kind of dragon this Deathsong is." Matt whispered, also looking at Hiccup "Sounds like you've had an experience with one."

"Make that three of us." Ukiah jumped in "I haven't even heard of a Deathsong."

"I'll tell you while we try and get Chicken out of that cocoon, it's quite the tale." Hiccup whispered, turning to walk out.

Heather just shook her head, walking with Matt and Ukiah. In the background, the screeching of the baby Deathsong rang rich in everyone's ears.

* * *

Matt, Ukiah, and Tuffnut were in the clubhouse, watching Hiccup try to chisel away at the amber around Chicken with a dagger. Well, at least Matt and Ukiah were watching him. Tuffnut was busy wailing loudly and crying over Chicken.

"Tuffnut! Can you please just calm down?!" Hiccup growled, glaring at the twin "It's doesn't help if everyone at the Edge is freaking out!"

"So…this Deathsong amber." Matt said aloud, walking up and tapping the orange cocoon "Harder than a rock, and solidifies almost instantly?"

"Yeah." Hiccup acknowledged, looking at Chicken "And this was just a baby. The fully grown one we encountered a year ago? It shoots large enough goops that can cover almost all its prey. Astrid was encased in a cocoon basically neck to boots with a small blast. Don't get me started on the dragons."

"And it lures its prey by singing?" Ukiah followed up with, also learning more about the Deathsong.

"Yup." Hiccup affirmed, returning his focus to Tuffnut's stuck pet.

"Wouldn't guess it from what we heard with young Garff." Matt huffed sarcastically "It's pushing them away."

"Still working on the chicken?" Snotlout asked, walking into the clubhouse with Hookfang right behind him.

"Yup." Hiccup said again, not turning to look at him.

"Heh, some Monstrous Nightmare gel would be handy right now, huh?" Snotlout teased, a mischievous grin forming on his face "She'd be free in seconds! And we'd have some nice rotisserie chicken. Mhmm mmm mmm."

"Agh! You take that back right now!" Tuffnut roared, lunging at Snotlout and tackling him. "Apologize to her right now! No one's rotissering Chicken!"

Hiccup let out a long sigh, giving up on trying to chisel the amber away. Looking at Matt and Ukiah with an annoyed look, he just shook his head at Tuffnut's shouting.

"I'm not going to apologize to a chicken!" Snotlout cried out, wrestling Tuffnut "Rotisserie chicken sounds good! Agh!"

Hiccup's eyes lit up, getting an idea. "Actually Tuff, I think Snotlout's onto something."

"Oh? What next? Roasted Toothless?" Tuffnut growled, letting Snotlout go.

Matt and Ukiah watched Snotlout wheeze, collapsing on the floor. Ukiah just shook his head, whispering to Matt "You'd think that he'd be able to handle that better."

Matt just smiled, shaking his head and returning his attention to Hiccup.

"Just stay with me here." Hiccup replied, walking up to Hookfang. Rubbing the edge of the dagger against his chin, he skimmed off a layer of the gel onto the blade. Smiling, he then walked up to Barf and Belch, letting Belch light the gel on fire. "Remember when we were on Melody Island?" He asked, letting the fire dance on the blade as he then went back to Chicken.

"No. Care to remind me?" Matt huffed sarcastically, wondering what Hiccup was trying to do. Even Ukiah had a raised eyebrow, unsure of what to think of the dagger of fire.

"In order to really break the amber, we had to heat it back up to create weak points in the cocoon." Hiccup explained, resting the tip of the dagger on the amber "That's what I'm trying to do here."

"Don't do it Hiccup! You'll singe her little feathers!" Tuffnut protested, knowing exactly what he was going to do.

"Relax Tuff. I'm just getting it started. I won't go deep enough to get remotely close to Chicken." Hiccup assured, focusing intently on the dagger. Slowly dragging it down in a straight line, he then stepped back with a wide smile. "See?" He pointed out. Turning to Toothless, he then said "Mind doing the rest bud?"

Toothless growled with his toothless smile. Walking up to Chicken, he gently raised his front claw and shattered the rest of the amber.

Tuffnut grabbed Hiccup by the shoulders, and then promptly threw him to the ground. "Chicken is free! Chicken is free!" He cried out happily, grabbing Chicken and hugging her.

"Oof!" Hiccup grunted, crashing and rolling on the floor. Looking up at Tuffnut, he just shook his head.

"Hahahah." Matt laughed, walking up and grabbing his hand. Pulling him onto his feet, he then teased "Well you certainly made yourself a hero today. Hiccup Haddock, famed Chicken savior!"

"Quite a title." Ukiah laughed, seeing Hiccup scowl at Matt "I think it sounds better than Hero of Berk, or the Dragon Master."

"You guys are so funny." Hiccup huffed, brushing himself off.

Before Matt or Ukiah could joke anymore with him, a familiar and dreaded screech began to sound off, getting louder and louder every second.

"Ugh, great." Matt groaned, already covering his ears.

Sure enough, Fishlegs, Astrid, and Heather walked into the clubhouse with Garffiljorg crying in Heather's arms. Garff instantly saw Chicken, and screeched even louder. He looked excited to try and chase his prey again.

"You!" Tuffnut growled, his eyes narrowing with hate "We need to remove Garffiljorg from this island immediately!"

"Ok, Tuff, you think you might be overreacting a little bit?" Hiccup groaned, shaking his head at the demand.

"Nonsense!" Tuffnut shouted, throwing Chicken into the air. Hiccup quickly backed up, catching her before she hit the ground.

"Ugh, Thor's beard." He groaned to himself, shaking his head as he set Chicken down.

"You gotta admit Hiccup, he's getting difficult to handle." Astrid spoke up, looking at Garff with concern.

"She's right Hiccup." Fishlegs seconded "He just went after Chicken. How long until he goes after one of us?"

"He's a gots to go!" Snotlout growled, siding with decision to send Garffiljorg away "Back to Melody Island with you!"

"Snotlout! Don't you remember the last time we went there, the Deathsong tried to eat us and our dragons?" Hiccup reminded, glaring at him with his impulsiveness.

"Well now that you kindly reminded me, yeah." Snotlout yelped remembering the close call they had.

"Couldn't we train him?" Matt suggested, walking up to Heather "I mean, we just trained a fully grown Triple Stryke. How hard can this guy be?"

"Matt's right!" Heather quickly shouted, getting angry that everyone was ready to send Garffiljorg away "He's just a baby! He doesn't know right from wrong. He's acting on instinct!" Looking down at the ground, she then added "I know what it's like to be alone in the world, and I don't want him to go through the same thing!"

"Aye, agreed." Ukiah seconded, leaning against the central fire pit of the clubhouse "Heather's concern the reason why I came back here to begin with; even when I didn't want to." Looking at Hiccup, he then said "If anyone can convince anything to change, it's her."

Turning to the others, Hiccup then said "They're right. We trained everything from a Night Fury to Night Terror. Surely we can train him not to eat us? Right?"

"I'm more than willing to try." Matt agreed, smiling at Heather.

"We owe it to Garff!" Heather added, smiling at the change in the decision.

Garff was obviously excited about staying, as he screeched even louder, making most the riders re-cover their ears.

"But what about that?!" Snotlout groaned, glaring at Garffiljorg "Does anyone else, not named Hiccup, have an idea before I take a running leap off the top of the Edge!"

Astrid's eyes lit up in excitement. "Nobody say a word!" She called out, smirking at him.

"Funny, Astrid!" Snotlout yelled, glaring at her angrily "By the way, I'm over you! In case you haven't heard!"

"Oh? How'd she get so lucky?" Matt commented, smiling at Astrid who simply shook her head at him.

"Because I'm honest! And I'm nothing if I'm not honest with my friends!" He continued to rant, looking over at Heather "Did you hear that Heather?"

"Ugh, really?!" Matt spat out in disgust. Now getting ready to tear into Snotlout, he was stopped as he heard some humming. Listening closely, he turned to see Heather rocking Garff gently as she began to sing:

 _"The sky is dark, and the hills are white.  
As the Storm King speeds from the north tonight.  
And this is the song The Storm King sings  
As over the world, his cloak he flings  
Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep  
He rustles his wings and gruffly sings  
Sleep, little one, sleep._

Everyone just stared in amazement. For two things actually. One, the fact that Heather could sing so beautifully; and two, little Garff had fallen asleep in her arms.

"Heather, I had no idea you could sing." Matt whispered gently, staring at her in shock and amazement "That was…that was beautiful."

"Ooooh ooooohh" Snotlout began to growl angrily to himself. Then in a high pitched whisper, added quietly "That was just beautiful Heather…" Spitting, he just glared at Matt who was paying no attention to him.

"Ugh, thank Thor that worked." Astrid groaned, relishing in the silence.

"Huh, not only did it work on Garff, look!" Ukiah whispered, pointing to the twins.

Everyone looked at the twins, both passed out and snoring lightly. Even Barf and Belch were out cold.

"It makes perfect sense!" Hiccup exclaimed as quietly as he could. Looking at Garff, he the theorized "The Deathsong sings to its prey to lure them in. That might be the primary way to communicate with him!"

"And it might help us train him!" Heather whispered excitedly, looking down at the snoozing Deathsong.

"Interesting." Hiccup replied, thinking of the possibility.

"Yak dung." Snotlout coughed loudly.

Garffiljorg instantly woke up and began screeching once again. Astrid groaned loudly, covering her ears and hitting her head against the wall "You know, getting held prisoner by the Hunters sounds like a haven right now!"

"Well I guess you better sing to him again, Heather." Snotlout replied with a confident smile.

"You mean 'we' better sing to him." Hiccup corrected, glaring at Snotlout.

"I do?" He replied back in horror.

"Oh yes, yes you do." Heather growled angrily at him.

"Oh, yes, of course I do." He groaned, realizing what he just did.

"I'll take him first." Hiccup called out, grabbing Garff from Heather "You need a break. You've been with him for hours on end!"

"No, I can keep watching him!" Heather defended, reaching to take Garff back.

"Heather, take a break and try to get some sleep. That's an order." Hiccup ordered gently, smiling at her "We'll all take turns and let you and Matt take him later tonight."

Matt smiled as he gently pulled on Heather's shoulder, letting Hiccup turn and walk out of the clubhouse with Garff. "You don't know any bounds when it comes to caring for others, huh?"

"Well, I guess I had a lot of practice with you." She quickly teased, turning and smiling at him "You really tested my patience. Starting when I had you prisoner and then after!"

Matt laughed, shaking his head at the joke. Then, once again, Snotlout butted in-between them.

"Hey, Heather!" He said aloud, turning his back to the now steaming Matt "Maybe you can sing to me? I need to get some shuteye too."

"How about I help with that." Ukiah growled, walking up to Snotlout. Grabbing him by his tunic, he pulled him away from Matt and Heather "Come on. Astrid and I need a sparring dummy. After we're done with you, you'll have no problem falling asleep."

Matt and Heather smiled as Snotlout was helplessly dragged away. "Thank you, Ukiah." Matt huffed, shaking his head at the thought of Snotlout continuing to interrupt them.

"He's definitely trying harder. That's for sure." Heather commented, laughing at his attempts.

"Come on, let's get some rest while we can." Matt grunted, turning to walk to their room "Since we're taking Garff in tonight and probably won't get a single wink of sleep."

"Heh, you're starting to talk like Hiccup now!" Heather commented, smiling at the phrase.

"Really? Guess I had it coming, given how much time I spend with him." Matt replied, shaking his head with a small smile "Come on. I have a feeling we're going to be exhausted after babysitting that Deathsong."

* * *

 _ **Here you go! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm trying to make the non-action scenes a little lighter and comedic. Not sure if I'm hitting that or not, but regardless, I hope you liked where it went and where its going. Have a great day!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	12. Chapter 12: Farewell Tour

**Chapter Twelve: Farewell Tour**

* * *

"Matt? Heather?!" Tuffnut shouted, barging into their room. In his arms was the usual screeching Garffiljorg.

"Tuff? What's going on?" Matt asked while looking up from his desk, shocked at seeing him barge through the door. He instantly clamping his hands over his ears

"Here! Take this terror!" Tuffnut yelled over the shouting "He tried to eat Chicken again!"

"Oh Garff, why?" Heather moaned, knowing that patience was running thin with him as it was. Reaching out, she grabbed Garff and tried to calm him down. "Shh…shh…" She whispered, trying to rock him asleep.

"Hiccup wants a word with you too." Tuffnut huffed, turning around and walking out of their room "He's out on the deck."

Looking at Heather, he then said "I'll be right back."

"Don't worry, I don't think I'll be going anywhere." She huffed, looking down at Garff with concern.

Sighing, he walked out of their room and saw Hiccup patiently waiting for him. He was holding a sword lowered to his side, one he never saw before.

"Are you two going to be ok with Garff?" Hiccup asked, looking at him with worry.

"Heather wouldn't have it any other way." He quickly replied, looking back at the doorway "You know she's got a soft spot for orphaned and lonely people; dragons included."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. Looking through the doorway, he saw Heather gently rocking Garff while trying to hum another lullaby, working to some degree in calming him down. "The others are pretty tired of him." He began to say "Astrid spent most the evening cleaning up all the amber off of Stormfly. Snotlout's still going on about his shift; and I'm sure the Tuffnut told you abou-"

"Garff trying to eat Chicken again. I know." Matt finished for him, shaking his head as he continued to watch Heather walk in and out of view from the doorway "I'll probably be of the same opinion after this." Turning to face Hiccup, he asked "What are we going to do? We can't keep this up and expect to fight the Hunters. Or do anything for that matter. One of us has to be with him at all times, and he can't keep on sleeping. He's gotta burn some of that energy one way or another."

"You're right. We can't keep this up." Hiccup answered "I made a decision. We're going to do what we should have done from the beginning. Take him to his own kind."

"But what about the Deathsong?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow "Didn't you say that it lures dragons closer to it? And then hits them with its amber shot?"

"Yeah. I'm making some moss earplugs for our dragons. You might want to leave Teton or Wasatch, because I only have enough to make you one pair. But I'm also bringing a small backup plan." Hiccup explained. Showing him the sword more clearly, he then clicked a button.

Matt stared in amazement as fire ignited along and up the blade. The real amazing thing though, was that it kept on burning. "How- that's incredible! Looks like you were busy!"

Hiccup let a small smile grow on his face "Yeah, I have been. I think this'll come in handy incase the Deathsong actually gets one of us; or all of us for that matter." Looking at the blade, he then admitted "I still don't know what to call it."

"Let's work on that when we can actually think." Matt grimaced, turning back to his room as Garff's screech drowned out Heather's lullaby.

"Hey, Hiccup? Matt?" A voice called out next to them, making the Haddock's turn to see Ukiah walk towards them. He had his worn and tattered cloak draped around him, with Arrow saddled up and Sleuther loaded with a couple of saddle bags.

"Ukiah? Where are you going?" Matt asked in alarm, not liking what he was seeing.

"A quick recon mission." Ukiah replied, trying his hardest to ignore the screeching. Looking at Hiccup, he explained "You know those instructions? The ones that led us to Garff?"

Hiccup and Matt nodded. How could they forget? The decision to stop the Hunters was costing them the ability to sleep!

"Remember it mentioned a shipyard?" Ukiah continued "Well the map only had a couple of islands drawn on it. I'm thinking that shipyard is at one of them."

"And you're going to check them out by yourself?" Hiccup quizzed "We have a rule, Ukiah. One I'm being better at enforcing."

"I get that you want to have doubles on anything that might involve the Hunters. I get it." Ukiah huffed "But I do better alone. I can sneak in and out of camps; Arrow can swim behind their ships; and now that Sleuther is coming with us, I have the firepower to get out of trouble if I do." In one motion, he drew his dagger and flipped it in the air. Letting the blade fall, he caught it by letting the tip balance on his finger "Besides, it's not like I'm even able to take out a camp on my own. I still don't have a crossbow."

"I'll get you one when we get this Garff situation taken care of." Hiccup groaned, completely forgetting his promise to Ukiah.

"Let me go and see if I can't find this shipyard. Then we can start devising a plan on what to do with it." Ukiah pushed, knowing Hiccup was still leery about him leaving by himself.

Before Hiccup could reply, Garff screeched an octave higher, again drowning out Heather's humming. "Gah!" Hiccup yelled, covering his ears "I'm sure you're leaving to get away from that!"

"Part of the reason, yeah." Ukiah admitted, smiling at him "Come on. Maybe Viggo's hiding some of his forces. Building up a reserve fleet there."

"Ugh, fine." Hiccup groaned "You'd leave anyways if I told you no." Looking at him in the eye, he then ordered "Nothing risky. Just find what island they're on and then get back here. No more than two days too! Got it?"

"Got it Hiccup. I'll be back either tomorrow evening or the morning after." Ukiah agreed, pulling up his cloak's hood. Sheathing the dagger, he then said "Good luck, Matt. That thing was a nightmare to deal with earlier."

"Thanks." He replied in an angry huff. Turning to his room, he then said "I'll see you in the morning Hiccup. I better go try and help Heather."

"Right, good luck." Hiccup replied, turning to walk away with Ukiah.

Matt let out a silent sigh, seeing Heather sitting on her chair and rocking back and forth on its back two legs. Her face was drained and depressed, unable to calm Garff down even for a moment. He could tell that it was going to be a long night for both of them. Looking up at Matt, she then asked "What did Hiccup want?"

"We're taking Garff to a new home tomorrow." Matt answered, grabbing his char and moving over to her. His head began to ache as the screeching almost echoed in his mind.

"No! We can't abandon him!" She cried out, looking at Matt in shock and worry.

"We're not abandoning him. We're taking him to his own kind." He answered, sitting down next to her "Hiccup's got a plan to bring him to Melody Island. Where they found the one Deathsong."

"But-" She tried to argue, only to be cut off.

"Hiccup's got it all figured out. He wouldn't suggest it if he didn't have a plan." Matt replied, stroking Garff's head "Have you tried that lullaby again? The Storm King one?"

"Yeah, it kind of worked." She groaned "But he's not having any of it."

Matt continued to pet Garff, as if that would magically help him calm down "Even if we had the patience and time to train him, do you think we could have?"

"I don't know. I want to think we could have." Heather whispered "But I just don't know." Looking at Matt, she then asked with a teasing voice "Heh, do you think Ukiah could teach him? He's done pretty well with Sleuther."

Matt laughed as he shook his head "Sleuther was different. He wanted to be with us. And didn't give us a headache like this little guy."

Heather just let a tired smile grow on her face, not saying anything.

"Besides that, Ukiah just left." He continued to say.

Heather's head whipped up at him with a shocked and fearful expression.

"He's not leaving for good." He quickly explained "He's scouting an island that's being used as Viggo's shipyard. He's just checking out the defenses while we take Garff to a new home."

"Oh good." She sighed in relief.

"You seem, I don't know, attached to him." Matt pointed out, watching for her reaction.

Heather's face went bright red as she looked up a second time at him. "No! It's not that Matt!"

"Mind enlightening me then?" He asked, a curious smile growing on his face. Lightly pushing her, he then joked "I like seeing you squirm sometimes, you know that right?"

"Ugh, unfortunately I do." She groaned, realizing he was just messing with her. Rolling her eyes, she then said "I guess I'm just worried that he's going to leave his home. Maybe his misses being alone, or on his own. I mean, it's kind of a different lifestyle living here; having to work with a team all the time and be part of a community. Follow rules set by others."

"I can see that." Matt agreed, thinking about how Ukiah liked to go on missions by himself "Worried that we're overwhelming him?"

"Maybe." She replied "In the few days he's been with us, he's already been captured once."

"That was just the initiation. Now he can say he's part of Hiccup's team." Matt jested with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess so." She agreed, shaking her head at the thought "Kind of a stupid initiation if you ask me."

"Come on." Matt grunted, smiling at the joke "Let's see if a walk will calm this shrieker a little bit. Maybe that's what we should have called him instead of Garffiljorg. Shrieker."

"I still don't get how Tuffnut's names stick around. They're really not that good." Heather groaned standing up and walking with him.

"Heh, let's go." Matt huffed sarcastically and loudly, as Garff decided to screech louder as he was being moved around "With any luck, we'll be able to keep the rest of the Edge up with us."

* * *

"There you are, Heather!" Hiccup called out, seeing Windshear land in the arena "We were wondering where you and Matt ran off too."

"Oh? We decided to camp out at the lagoon." Heather explained with a smile "Try to give you guys a break from Garff."

"Really? How was it?" Astrid asked, walking up to her. Stormfly was right behind her, smiling at Windshear; who in turn, did the same.

"Beautiful. Aside from the screeching, it was a really pretty night." She answered with a smile "With no moon, the stars were so bright."

"Oh! I know a spot where the stars are twice as bright!" Snotlout cut in, pushing Hiccup aside and looking excitedly at her "Wanna go tonight?"

Astrid just shook her head in disgust, not believing how hard he was trying.

"I'll probably be too tired, Snotlout." Heather replied with a smile, knowing exactly what he was trying to do "If anything, I'll be having a date with my bed. Been up all night with Garff."

"Where is he anyways?" Astrid asked, looking at her with confusion.

"Matt has him. He took him earlier this morning and is going to try and show him something; just to see if it can't distract Garff for a bit."

"Huh, what did he have in mind?" Hiccup followed up with, intrigued with Matt's potential idea.

"Don't know. That's all he told me." Heather replied with a shrug. Looking at Hiccup, she then asked "So we're really going to Melody Island?"

"Yup. We're pretty much ready to go." Hiccup began to say, only to be interrupted.

"Hey genius!" Snotlout shouted "Have you thought of the fact that the Deathsong mind-melts our dragons?

"Actually, I have." Hiccup replied simply, unfazed by the accusation. Walking over to Toothless, he began to search one of his saddlebags.

"Good. That just fills me up with confidence." Snotlout growled sarcastically while rolling his eyes "Do you actually have a plan? Or are we just going to wing it?"

"Pun intended!" Tuffnut shouted, making everyone turn to stare at him "Heheheh, you said 'wing it'. You know, and dragons have-"

"We get it, Tuff." Astrid groaned, walking up to and petting Stormfly.

"I like Matt's jokes better." Heather whispered to her, shaking her head at the attempt "Even if they're cringe worthy almost all the time."

Hiccup then grabbed everyone's attention, by announcing "We're going to handle the Deathsong's melody, with these." At that, he handed something to Fishlegs.

"Oh! Moss ear plugs!" He cried out, looking over his set.

"Right?" Hiccup replied, smiling confidently. Walking to Heather and Astrid, he continued to say "I custom-made a pair for each dragon. With the exception for Matt."

"Why?" Heather asked, looking at him with confusion.

"I only made one pair for him. So he has to leave either Wasatch or Teton behind." He explained, handing both her and Astrid their set of ear plugs.

"Or you could just…I don't know, not give him a pair." Snotlout growled, rolling his eyes.

"Snotlout!" Astrid shouted, glaring at him "He's already almost died more times than you've been helpful! We don't need to help him almost get killed again!"

Snotlout just grumbled to himself as he returned his attention to Hookfang, as if mimicking Matt's voice and sounding sarcastic.

"You didn't happen to make any ear plugs for us, did you?" Astrid groaned with a small smile growing on her face. Looking at Hiccup, she then silently gestured to Snotlout as she whispered "Because I might need some!"

"Hah! Hahahahah!" Snotlout laughed sarcastically, hearing what she said "Very funny, Astrid! You should take that comedy routine on the trip!"

Smirking at him, and then to Heather, replied "Hmm. Maybe I will." At that, both she and Stormfly walked out of the arena, with Heather and Windshear right behind her.

"Oh, 'maybe I will.' Or maybe you shouldn't!" Snotlout shouted "Because it's completely contextual!"

Astrid just laughed, with Heather smiling as well. Turning to her, she then asked "So where is Matt? Does he know we're leaving soon?"

"I don't know where he is. Maybe I'll go check our room to see if- oh! There he is! What's he doing?" Heather called out, pointing ahead of them.

Every turned to look to see Matt being carried by Wasatch, with Garff actually flying close by. Strapped to Matt's feet was one of his wakeboards.

"Matt? What's going on? What were you doing wakeboarding?" Hiccup called out, seeing him get gently dropped in front of them.

"Garff is strong enough to fly?!" Heather asked, seeing Garff land next to Matt. Seeing that everyone was staring at him, he began to screech, as if excited to see everyone.

"Ugh, great." Astrid groaned, shaking her head at the annoying screeching.

"Well, my idea didn't work." Matt growled, glaring at Garff. Pointing to his right leg, everyone began to laugh. There, encased in a ball of amber, was his right foot in the binding, keeping him strapped to the board. "Ha. Ha." Matt growled angrily "Shut up. I was thinking I was onto something."

"What were you trying?" Astrid asked with a wide smile.

"I let Garff wakeboard with me." He explained "While Wasatch was towing me, I was trying to teach him to fly with me while wakeboarding. My hope was to show him how to have fun without saying anything. Er, screeching anything. I thought it was working too! For the first few minutes, we played a game where he flew under me as I jumped off waves. Then he shot me with this."

Laughing, Hiccup shook his head as he turned to run up to his room, saying "Give me a second and I'll get you out of there."

"Thanks." Matt huffed, glaring at Garff "What's up bud? I thought we were friends!"

Garff just screeched louder, as if answering his question."

"I think you are friends. He just shows his love a different way." Heather snickered, shaking her head at him. Picking up Garff, she then said "I'll take him on the trip. You just wait to get out of there."

"Thanks." Matt grunted, falling down and sitting up. Shaking his head, he then asked "So, when are we heading out?"

"As soon as you're out of your wakeboard." Heather called out, climbing on Windshear "I guess I can wait for you, since you're always the slowest!"

"Heather!" Matt shouted, only to watch her take off and fly away. Shaking his head angrily, he looked up at Astrid who was also snickering "Not. A. Word, Astrid." He growled "Or I'm hiding your battle-axe for a week!"

"Oooh." Astrid teased "I don't know how you can. You're foot seems to be in a 'bind'!"

Shocked, Matt just stared at her "Astrid, di-did you just drop a pun?"

Laughing, Astrid walked away while saying "Hurry up, Matt! You always take the day to get ready!"

* * *

Hiccup focused on what lay ahead. There in the distance was Melody Island. He let his mind wander to the last time he and his friends first came here. They used to rest and recover after a day long ride. With their dragons exhausted, they had no choice but to camp there. In the short time they were there, they immediately fell in love with the natural paradise. The paradise that masked the nightmare that lived on it.

Sighing, he shook his head in disbelief. How they were able to escape from the Deathsong was nothing short of a miracle. Lots of thinking, and a miracle. The fact that he was able to train a Thunderdrum to help his friends escape was an experience he never thought he'd live through; nor was one he wanted to go through again.

"You ok, Hiccup?" Matt asked, letting Wasatch glide closer to Toothless. He chose to ride Wasatch instead of Teton for the reason that he flew better on him. And in case of the event that he'd be chased by the Deathsong, he wanted the one that he knew he could maneuver on the best. Continuing to stare at Hiccup with concern, he added "You got that look on your face. The one where you're thinking about something.

Hiccup quickly flashed a smile at him. "You really do know me, huh?"

"Hard not to. I've lived with you for almost a year now." Matt jested, shrugging at Hiccup's observation "So. Whatcha' thinking of?"

"The Deathsong. And I guess the last time we were here." Hiccup replied, being honest with him. Looking ahead, he let his worrying look return "You don't know what it's like. We all almost died because of it." Gently stroking Toothless, he quietly added "Even Toothless."

"Hey. We're prepared, right?" Matt quickly assured "I mean, how long do we have to be there? Just drop off Garff and then get out. Worst case scenario, Wasatch and I will lead the Deathsong away. I'm sure we can outfly it."

"It's surprisingly quick for its size." Hiccup explained "The only way I lost it was because of Toothless' size. It can't turn as quick."

"Then Wasatch and I have nothing to fear." Matt replied with a smile "We're just as maneuverable as you two."

Toothless growled, narrowing his eyes at Matt. Hiccup laughed, gently stroking his neck "Hear that bud? Sounds like a challenge to me! Guess we'll have to have a race when we get back.

"We'll agree to that." Matt replied happily, smiling at the thought of a race "We'll destroy you two! Huh bud?" Wasatch roared confidently, looking up and smiling at Matt.

"I guess we'll have to find out, won't we?" Hiccup replied with a mischievous grin.

Shaking his head with his wide smile, Matt looked back at Heather and saw Garff snoozing in her arms. "Fishlegs' Dragon Nip idea was genius. Lil' Garff hasn't made even the smallest fuss."

"I wasn't sure that it would work on this particular species." Fishlegs replied with a smile "Only took a couple of tries to get close enough to knock the little guy out."

Meatlug then growled angrily, glaring at Fishlegs. Her left ear was encased in a small amber orb, effectively telling what happened.

"Sorry girl." Fishlegs whispered with an apologetic expression.

"Just make sure he's awake when we get there." Hiccup continued to say, returning his attention ahead of him "We need him alert and focused."

"You got it, Hiccup!" Fishlegs replied with a wide smile.

Matt then let Wasatch slow up a little bit until he was alongside Heather and Windshear. Looking at the sleeping dragon, he shook his head with a smile "Heh, when he's not screeching bloody murder, he's actually kind of cute."

"Right?" Heather replied with a sincere smile "Too bad we couldn't train him."

Before Matt could say anything else, Astrid then spoke up, making everyone turn to listen to her.

"How do you get a one-armed Jorgenson out of tree?" She asked, smiling from ear to ear. Waiting for a few seconds, she then said "You wave to him!"

Heather and Matt instantly burst out laughing, with the twins and Fishlegs following after.

"That was a good one!" Matt laughed aloud "Astrid, what happened? You've turned into the little comedian haven't you?"

"It rubbed off you I guess." She replied with a large smile.

"Got any more?" Heather asked, smiling at the thought of more jokes.

"How do you sink a Jorgenson warship?" She quickly asked, grinning at the joke. After waiting for an answer, she then explained "You put it in the water!"

"Hahahahaha!" Heather laughed loudly "More! More!"

Matt smiled as he watched everyone laughing, with the exception of Snotlout, who was just glaring ahead of him. If looks could kill, they'd all have been dead long ago. "Oh hohoho." He growled angrily "That's right, laugh all of you. But don't come running to me when you're all out of Nightmare Gel."

Hiccup just smiled, seeing that everyone was in high spirits, despite the danger they were flying to. All right gang, remember, the Deathsong strike is precise and streamlined. So we need to be spread out. That way it can only go after one of us at a time."

"Gotcha." Matt replied loudly, looking at Heather with a small smile. Winking at her, he then banked Wasatch away from the rest of the gang, putting some distance between him and them. Everyone else did the same, with Snotlout still mumbling to himself.

Hiccup was the first to start diving to the island below. His eyes were focused and unmoving. Scanning for anything that would resemble the Deathsong, he refused to ease up once.

Landing on the shoreline, he simply waited to see if anything was out of the normal.

Matt also landed, with the others doing the same. Matt drew his hatchet, just for making himself feel more secure.

"Hey, how do you confuse a Jorgenson?" Astrid asked, looking excited at telling another joke "Tell him go into a round arena to find the corner!"

Everyone just chuckled, feeling the tense feeling slightly diminish. Even Hookfang laughed lightly, which was what made the joke even funnier.

"You don't even understand jokes!" Snotlout hissed, glaring down at Hookfang.

"Stay here. I'm going to check out this cave." Hiccup replied, dismounting from Toothless "Matt, you back me up if you hear me or Toothless shout, got it?" At that, both he and Toothless began walking to the cave.

"Gotcha, Hiccup. I got your back." Matt affirmed, unbuckling his bindings and stepping off Wasatch. "Wasatch, up in the air. You're useless underground. Cover us from above." He instructed, walking to the entrance of the cave Hiccup disappeared into.

Heather let Windshear walk onto a massive flat boulder. She continued to hold the slumbering Garff. Fishlegs let Meatlug land next to her, watching the cave intently.

Matt just stared into the dark cave, unsure of what think of the silence. Then the sight that brought relief. Both Hiccup and Toothless walked out of the cave.

"He's not in here." Hiccup called out, looking concerned.

"That's bad news for us." Snotlout commented, looking a little worried as he scanned the cliff plagued shoreline.

"Come on, let's find this guy." Hiccup replied, climbing back onto Toothless and launching into the air "Oh, make sure your dragon's ear plugs are in!"

"Wasatch! Let's go!" Matt called out, turning and watching his dragon groan at needing to land again "Don't give me that attitude!" Matt huffed as he climbed onto the Skrill and strapped himself back in.

Launching into the air, he followed Hiccup at a healthy distance, not wanting to be caught off guard or by surprise. Seeing that Hiccup was flying through a canyon, he was surprised to see a heavy fog covering the interior of the island. "Great." He huffed, brandishing his hatchet and being ready for anything that could jump them. Suddenly, a loud moaning began to sound off. It went up and down in tone, and echoed through the foggy canyons. The sound was eerie, sending chills down his spine. Looking at Astrid who was flying across from him, he asked "What the hell is that?!"

"That's the Deathsong." She replied, equally spooked and on edge.

"Hiccup, the ear plugs are working!" Fishlegs called out, excited that he still had control of Meatlug.

"Great. Now let's get in closer." He replied with narrowing eyes "Everyone on high alert."

"No kidding." Snotlout huffed, rolling his eyes.

Matt glanced at Heather nervously, unsure of what to expect. Letting the others go ahead of him, he then ushered her to go ahead of him "Let us cover your six. Alright?"

Heather just nodded, knowing that he would protect her if needed. "Be careful, Matt." She called out.

Matt let her get a healthy distance away from him before he let Wasatch fly at normal speeds. Scanning the cliff walls of the canyon, he noticed orange amber more prevalent, as well as the Deathsong's song was getting louder. They were heading into the right direction. Whether it was a good thing, he couldn't tell just yet.

Then the sight that took his breath away. Below him was a trail of dragon bones. Covered in the orange amber.

"Oh no!" Heather said aloud, making Matt whip his head in her direction "Garff's starting to wake up!"

"Yeah, I'm on it!" Hiccup called out, surging ahead.

Matt watched as the canyon opened up into a massive valley, surrounded by cliffs and boulders. The graveyard was huge! It was littered with amber and bones! His heart began to thump harder and harder, unsure of what to do to help her.

"Hmm…hmm hmmm." Heather began hum to Garff, who was starting to cry louder and louder.

"Come on, Garff." Matt whispered "Quiet down for just this once!"

"Matt! Behind you!" Fishlegs shouted.

Matt couldn't even react before he felt something smash into his legs. Wasatch screeched in surprise as a heavy weight suddenly pulled him down by the neck.

"Agh!" Heather shouted, sounding like something hit her too, though he couldn't tell.

"Heather! No!" Astrid shouted.

"Waaggh! Gagh!" Matt shouted, crashing into the ground. Getting his bearings, he was shocked as he saw that he and Wasatch were encased in amber. From Matt's waist clear down to Wasatch's neck and his right wing. His left arm was also pinned to his side, with his right still gripping his hatchet. Looking around, he stared in horror as he saw Heather and Windshear also covered in a similar way.

"No!" She cried, trying to pull herself out of the amber that had cocooned around her whole body to Windshear. Windshear couldn't move an inch, with the amber layered over her as well.

"Agh! Come on!" Matt roared, trying move his legs. Seeing that no amount of struggling was helping, he swung his hatchet as hard as he could into the amber. The Gronckle Iron edge lightly chipped the amber, but that was hardly any comfort to him. Grunting, he went to swing again, but saw Fishlegs fall out of the sky as well.

"Oh no…" Fishlegs whimpered after Meatlug finished crashing into the ground.

Then the sight that made Matt's heart stop. A massive orange dragon flew over the cliffs. Right behind where they flew. It had colorful wings, mixed with red, orange, yellow, and even a little blue. The wings were almost like butterfly wings. Big, strong, leathery wings!

"That's a Deathsong?!" Matt cried out in shock as it landed in front of Heather.

"Remember! Don't bunch up!" Hiccup began to shout, obviously panicked at the fact that three of the seven Riders were already down.

The Deathsong quickly interrupted him by rapidly shooting its amber blasts at the remaining Riders.

"Look out!" Hiccup shouted, letting Toothless burst above where the amber would have hit them.

The others weren't as lucky or quick. Both twins were nailed directly by a blast, as they both tried to guide Barf and Belch separate ways. Hookfang took his shot directly in the chest, instantly pulling the Nightmare down.

"I forgot how much I hate that guy!" Snotlout shouted, struggling to get out of the amber that splashed on him.

Astrid rolled Stormfly away from her blast, but put her directly in line for another! "No!" She shouted. The amber splashed all around her, mainly getting her hands and encasing them to her saddle. Crashing onto the ground, she desperately tried to pull them free.

"Hiccup!" Matt shouted, staring helplessly at the Deathsong. The Deathsong eyed its prey with satisfaction. Roaring in happiness, it was about to charge at Toothless, being the only dragon not imprisoned by its amber.

"Reegggh!" A high pitched screech sounded off, making everyone including the Deathsong turn to look up.

There, barreling towards the monster dragon, was Garff. Crashing into the ground, he somersaulted to a stop just feet away from the Deathsong.

"Garff?" Matt groaned, sure he was just about to watch the runt of a dragon become an appetizer. Instead, he saw something that blew his mind.

The Deathsong just looked at Garff with a curious expression. Leaning down to get closer to him, it them spat a small amount of amber right next to him. Eyeing him curiously, it just sat there and waited.

Garff screeched with a wide smile. Knowing exactly what to do, he then spat out some amber as well, being a significantly smaller amount.

The Deathsong then took a step back, as if surprised. Looking like a small smile was growing on its face, it then began to roar melodically.

"Well, at least they're not shooting at us." Hiccup said aloud, gliding Toothless down next to where Astrid and Stormfly were stuck.

Garff let out a high pitch screech, as if laughing at the game the Deathsong was playing with it. He too then began to sing, singing to the tune to Heather's Storm King Lullaby.

Matt glanced at where Heather and Windshear lay, looking at her in confusion and worry. Looking back at him, she tried to shrug; which didn't really happen. Returning her attention to the two singing Deathsongs, she just watched anxiously to see what was going to happen.

The Deathsong just stared at Garff, as if frustrated with him. Again, it reared back and began to roar melodically a second time. Garff again screeched a tune out happily, now standing on his feet. He looked like he was dancing to his own song. Matt would have enjoyed the scene if he wasn't trapped in amber and on the verge of being a meal. Glancing over at Hiccup, he saw him slowly dismount from Toothless.

"I think they're bonding." He said quietly, yet loud enough to heard.

The Deathsong then quickly slapped its tail around, batting Garff into the cliff wall with the speed of a hurling catapulted boulder.

"Think again, Hiccup!" Matt shouted, swinging his hatchet back down into the amber to try and chip it away.

"Garff!" Heather cried out, watching the baby Deathsong scramble behind a large rock, obviously scared and hurt from the hit.

"Hiccup! Look out!" Fishlegs shouted frantically.

"Toothless, mov- Agh!" Hiccup shouted, as he and Toothless were nailed with an amber blast. Almost instantly, the two were frozen in place. Toothless just stared at Hiccup in shock, unable to even budge; while Hiccup strained to move his right side. His feet were anchored to the ground as well, rendering him immobile.

The Deathsong roared angrily at Hiccup and Toothless, as if telling them to stop trying to struggle. Then, its head perked up as it turned towards Matt.

"Uh…anyone got any ideas? Like, right now!" Matt shouted, swinging at the amber with all his might.

Suddenly, a small, whimpering screech sounded from behind a rock. Slowly crawling from under his cover, Garff began to sing a tune. The Deathsong quickly turned to see Garff. Growling angrily, it narrowed its eyes as it began to walk towards him.

"Humm, hummm mmhmm hmmm." Fishlegs began to hum to himself.

"Fishface! What're you doing?" Snotlout whispered angrily.

"Sorry! I get hum when I get nervous." He defended, watching the Deathsong approach Garff.

"Yeah? Well I heard they like to hum in Valhall-" Snotlout growled back, only to be cut off.

"That's the problem!" Hiccup cut in, making everyone stare at him "He's singing our songs! And I don't think the Deathsong likes them!"

"Great. I didn't even sing to him!" Matt groaned, looking up to watch the Deathsong confront Garff a second time.

Getting low, the Deathsong began to roar a tune while glaring at Garff. The little Deathsong yelped in fear as he turned tail and ran under the boulder that acted as his shelter.

The Deathsong roared loudly and angrily, spreading its wings wide. Turning to Astrid, it then marched up to her. Glaring at her and Stormfly, it then continued to roar its tune.

"Hiccup, now would be a good time for one of your ideas!" She called out, staring at it with wide eyes.

"Uh…keep singing!" He shouted "Maybe we can find a song that it likes!"

"Sorry, but I have to take time to prepare." Tuffnut began to say with a smirk on his face "This golden throat is a very delicate instrument." Before anyone could get after him, the Deathsong quickly reached over and grabbed him. Being shook around, he shouted "Oh Deathsong, Oh Deathsong! You're big and bad and you kill a lot! And you spit out goo that looks like snot!" Looking up at the Deathsong, he asked "Eh? How was that?"

The Deathsong growled in annoyance, and then continued to shake Tuffnut around.

"Help!" He shouted.

Matt stared helplessly at the despairing twin. Out of both being terrified and desperate, he let his voice ring aloud:

 _"Will the faithful be rewarded,  
When we come to the end?"_

The Deathsong promptly dropped Tuffnut, turning to look at Matt, who instantly began sweating as the dragon approached him. Swallowing, he continued to sing:

 _"Will I miss the final warning  
From the lie that I have lived?  
Is there anybody calling  
That I can see the soul within?  
And I am not worthy  
I am not worthy of this."_

The Deathsong stopped over Matt and Wasatch, looking down at him curiously. Even the Skrill knew of the danger he was in as he didn't even growl at it. Heather stared at Matt, hearing the tune that he was singing. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but the tune was otherworldly.

 _"Are you with me after all?  
Why can't I hear you?  
Are you with me through it all?  
Then why can't I feel you?"_

Garff slowly emerged from his cover, his ears perking up at Matt's song.

 _"Stay with me, don't let me go  
Because there's nothing left at all  
Stay with me, don't let me go  
Until the Ashes of Eden fall…"_

 _"Will the darkness fall upon me  
When the air is growing thin  
Will the light begin to pull me  
To its everlasting will  
I can hear the voices haunting  
There is nothing left to fear  
And I am still calling  
I am still calling to you"_

Matt's voice cracked as he tried to carry the note. Gasping, he just stared at the Deathsong as it snapped out of it otherwise curious trance. Growling angrily, it then began to roar a melody again. Matt tried to pick up where he left off, but the stress and terrified feeling of having the Deathsong right next to him froze his brain. Then the tune began to be carried from behind the Deathsong. Both Matt and the massive dragon turned to see Heather humming the tune, staring at the Deathsong with fear.

The Deathsong just growled in annoyance as it turned around to face Matt.

Heather's face fell, being unable to distract it from Matt "Matt!" She shouted, stopping the tune and watching him.

Matt stared in horror, beginning to think it really was the end. Staring at the gaping mouth, he was shocked when Garff flew in between him and the Deathsong. Garff then began to sing a different tune; sounding awfully similar to the Deathsong's.

The Deathsong stopped and stared at Garff, its ears twitching as Garff continued to sing. A happy smile began to grow on its face, almost making it completely forget about its prey. Garff then flew up higher, leading the Deathsong away from everyone. Stopping, he then looked down at those that took care of him.

"Go on, Garff! It's okay!" Heather called out with a relieved smile.

Garff screeched happily, turning and flying away. Singing the Deathsong's tune, he continued to fly deeper into the island with the Deathsong happily following him; echoing him with its own roars.

"I can't believe it. He saved us!" Hiccup called out, smiling in both relief and astonishment.

"Yup. We saved him, and he saved us." Heather replied with a happy smile. Looking over at Matt, who looked like he was about to pass out, she asked "You ok, Matt?"

"Sure. I guess I am." He huffed, raising his hatchet in the air to signal that he was indeed ok "I mean, it's not like I was about to be digested."

"So…what now?" Fishlegs asked, trying to move in his cocoon.

Hiccup didn't say anything. Grabbing his sword with his free hand off of Toothless' saddle, he then clicked a button. Fire ignited and ran up and down the blade. Everyone watched as he methodically cut through amber that restricted both him and Toothless. Seconds later, it shattered and fell off of them as if it were nothing.

"Hiccup, that's brilliant!" Fishlegs shouted excitedly "You find a weak spot in the cocoon, the rest will crack and fall apart!"

"Exactly." Hiccup affirmed, shaking off the last of the amber off "Now let's get out of here before they get their appetite back."

"Oh thank God." Matt huffed, letting his head fall into the dirt. Looking up into the foggy sky, he shouted "Promise me one thing Hiccup. We never, ever, come back here. Deal?"

Laughing, Hiccup teased him "I don't know. I might send you and Wasatch to check on Garff!"

"Funny!" He shouted angrily "Come on, get us free!"

Both Matt and Heather watched as he began to free the rest of the riders, starting with Astrid. Looking over at Matt, Heather then asked "So that song. What's it supposed to mean?"

"It's hard to explain." He answered "It's a song from my world, obviously, and was the first thing that popped into my head."

"Didn't know you could sing." She commented with a smile "Know any other songs?"

"I might. I don't think I can sing them." Matt laughed, the thought of him singing songs from his favorite bands "But if you want, I can try."

"Oh, Heather! I can sing!" Snotlout shouted as Hiccup began to chip away at his and Hookfang's amber. At that, he immediately began to shout: _"Oh, he's a scary, bad dragon! He didn't kill us, I'm glad he didn't, Now we can go hom-_ Ow! _"_

Hiccup finished cutting his amber, causing him to fall over mid song.

Heather laughed as she shook her head. Looking back at Matt, she just smiled at him. Matt just shook his head. Snotlout was hopeless. Letting a smile crack on his face, he simply closed his eyes and waited for Hiccup to get to him.

* * *

 _ **There ya go! The song that Matt sings is called "Ashes of Eden" I don't really have a reason why I chose him to sing that song, but I wasn't really looking for one that had a lot of meaning. Hope you enjoyed it!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	13. Chapter 13: Family Issues

**Chapter Thirteen: Family Issues**

* * *

"Beautiful night, yeah?" Matt asked aloud, letting a smile grow on his face. Seeing Heather sitting on the bench outside of their room, he casually walked over to her.

"Finally done for the day?" She asked, smiling as he took a seat next to her.

"Yup. Helped Hiccup work on his sword; or Inferno as he's calling it." He chuckled, shaking his head at the name "And then began helping him build a crossbow for Ukiah. I gave him a couple ideas in making it a little more unique."

"Oh? How so?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just based it off some weapons from my world. That's all." He smiled, finally letting himself relax as he sat next to her. "Ah, that's better." Deactivating his brace, he let his leg relish in resting for a moment. Turning to Heather, he let out a long yawn while stretching his arms up high. Slowly, he let his arm fall around her, letting him pull her closer to him.

"Smooth." She replied, turning to face him with a large smile.

"I have my moments." He laughed, leaning back against their room.

It's been a whole day since the Deathsong scare, and giving Garffiljorg a home that could actually take care of him. And to Matt, a day was barely enough to time to recharge. Shaking his head lightly, he looked up at the star-littered sky.

"Hey, you ok?" Heather asked, leaning against his arm and looking up as well.

"You know what? I am." He replied, turning to look at her. Seeing something in her hair, he smiled as he pulled it out "Considering that we all escaped death yesterday, found Hiccup and Ukiah when they could have been sent anywhere, I'd say I'm doing quite well." At that, he showed her a small piece of amber that he pulled out.

"Thanks." She whispered, shaking her head at seeing the amber. Looking across Dragon's Edge, she smiled as she whispered "I'm glad we were able to give Garff a home. At least he'll have someone that-"

"Tolerates him?" Matt cut in with a shrewd grin.

"Loves him." She corrected, glaring at him for his joke.

"Me too." Matt chuckled, puller her closer to him. Looking below and watching the waves crash into the shoreline and cliffs, he added "Glad we were able to do it. It's nice to enjoy some of peace and quiet."

"Heh, that's true." Heather laughed "Glad that Hiccup was able to think of a way to escape that amber."

Matt just smiled as he looked down back up at the stars.

"Hey, so…I do have a question." Heather began to say, a curious smile growing.

"Uh oh. Questions usually mean we're going to be going on some kind of adventure." He joked, smirking at her.

"Not really with this one. It's because of the adventure we went on." She explained "That song you sang, that wasn't a lullaby was it?"

"Ashes of Eden? No, it wasn't." He answered with a smile "It's just a song that a band sang. I honestly don't know why I sang that one, as it's not really my favorite."

"How many songs do you know?" She asked, her eyes lighting up at the thought of Matt being a musician.

"Not many. I just usually sing along whenever I hear it playing." He replied "And since coming and staying here, I guess I haven't really thought about it. Been too busy saving you or Hiccup, or recovering from some kind of injury. Not that that's getting old."

Heather just shook her head as she reached up and stroked his hair. There, his most recent injury stuck out in the dark light of night. The scar that ran from the top of his head towards his eye. "A miracle that you're even able to see out of that eye." She whispered, staring at the scar. Shaking her head, she then asked "So, do you have any songs you'd like to sing?"

"Maybe. I'll have to think of some that you'd like. Ashes of Eden isn't quite, uh, your type." He explained with sheepish smile "I'll sing one to you, but give me a little time to think of one."

"Hmm, I guess I can agree with that." She replied with a satisfied smile.

Matt nodded with a sheepish smile. Turning to look off the deck, he let his face start to grow somber.

"Alright, I know that look." Heather said aloud, calling him out "What's eating you now? Is it me asking you to sing?"

"Heh, it's getting hard to hide my thoughts from you, huh?" He huffed, shaking his head "I don't know if it's eating me. Unlike the Deathsong just about did." He replied with a smirk as he cracked the joke.

Heather just shook her head and waited for him to explain himself, not liking the attempted joke.

"I guess I'm thinking of me being a Haddock." He began to explain "I don't really know if I'm…I don't know, living up to the name? The expectation?"

She looked at him with concern. "What's making you say that? What do you mean you're not living up to the Haddock name?"

"I'm meaning if I'm even considered to be like Hiccup." He followed up with "I mean, look at it this way: Hiccup and Stoick are both leaders. They have faults, sure. But they're both leaders that can take charge and come up with ideas. They always seems to have a backup plan, and if not, they can come up with one on the fly." Looking at Heather, he expressed his concern "So am I like them? I was busy panicking when the Deathsong was coming close to me when Hiccup was thinking of a way to escape."

"Matt." Heather growled, shaking her head in annoyance "Hiccup and Stoick may be better leaders because they've had lots of time being in charge! Think of the few times that the role of being leader fell on you. You've been amazing with the few times you've had to cover for Hiccup! Don't forget that he's usually missing because his own plans failed him! And of all those times, no one asked you to take charge! You just rose to the occasion!"

"But Hiccup doesn't need suggestions to accomplish something. He can come up with plans on his own." Matt countered, still staring at the night sky "Remember when we were looking for Hiccup, Ukiah, and Toothless? It was you and Astrid that ended up finding them; even freeing them! You two had the ideas. All I did was open up the arena for you guys."

"Ugh! Matt, sometimes you are dumb." Heather huffed, shaking her head at him.

Taken back by the charge, he just looked at her with a surprised expression.

"Listen, you were the one that made the Hunters tell us where they were keeping Hiccup and Ukiah." Heather began to say "You were able to make them crack! Without actually hurting or torturing any of them. Astrid and I still have no idea how you did it! I tried to make a Hunter tell me, and Arrow ended up killing him! Astrid couldn't get them to talk either, and she was a lot more aggressive in her interrogation than you were!"

Matt just looked at her, listening to every word she said.

"Besides that, you're also ignoring all that you've done before!" She continued to argue "Listen, you might not be Hiccup, but that's why you're valuable to us! To me."

Matt let a small smile grow on his face, hearing her say that.

"You saved me from Dagur." She replied, looking at him with misting eyes "You stopped him from turning me into the monster he is; and again when he ran that sword through my shoulder, pinning me to the deck of that sinking ship. Remember you saved both me and Hiccup from him? That was you! All you! Not Hiccup, not Astrid, not even Snotlout. It was you, Matthew Haddock."

Matt felt a sting of guilt, knowing the secret he was keeping from her. Knowing the fact that Dagur had saved Hiccup.

"I was so relieved and terrified at the same time when I saw that the Hunters captured you; when they had me and Windshear as prisoners for a couple of months. Seeing you in that cell brought me more peace than seeing Astrid and the others. And because of you, we were all able to escape. All of us! You were able to cut the rope holding our shackles above us, and you untied Astrid!" Smiling, she lightly hit him in the shoulder, saying "Do you need me to tell you more? Because I can keep going!"

"If you want too." Matt replied back, smirking at her. Squeezing her with his arm already around her, he whispered "Thank you. I wasn't meaning to sound down on myself, I was just wondering if I'm the help that I view myself as; or if I'm help at all."

"You're more than what you're giving yourself credit for. I guess I'll be the one that has to remind you." She whispered, lightly kissing him on the cheek.

Smiling at the gesture, Matt grabbed both her arms and made her look at him. Closing his eyes, he then leaned forward and kissed her.

Taken back by the sudden kiss, Heather quickly closed her eyes and let it happen. They've always had romantic flights, conversations, even moments; but this was something that he never did to her before; and she was going to enjoy it.

It was official. They were a couple. Thought that was established when she moved in with him, this was a confirmation to the two. They loved each other.

"Where would I be without you?" Matt asked, finally pulling away from her.

Smiling, she simply replied "Probably back where you came from, enjoying whatever you did there." Joking, she added "Listening to your music."

Laughing, Matt shook his head while saying "I don't think I'd be enjoying it half as much as you think I would be. Not after meeting you."

"Ahhh, you say the sweetest things." She teased with a sarcastic smirk at him. Then, in a quieter whisper "I'm glad you stayed. It's a lot easier to stay here myself."

"Would you have left if I didn't?" Matt asked, turning to look up at the stars again.

Also looking up at the stars, she sighed as she said "I don't know. It's hard to say."

"What about Ukiah?" Matt asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow "Would he be a reason to stay?"

"Wha-what do you mean?" She asked, looking at him in alarm.

"Would you stay if Ukiah stayed?" He asked again.

"Why would you ask something like that?!" She gaped, still shocked at the question.

"Because you two are very similar. You both have similar experiences, both lost your family when you two were little, you two like to fight and will defend your friends with your dying breath." Matt began to list "I'm not suggesting to leave me for him! I love you Heather! But you two have a lot of similarities, plus you've been a key player in him staying here. At least, him choosing to stay here."

Heather looked away from Matt, nodding in understanding "I guess because of how similar he is to me, I've taken it personally that he gets a home." Looking back at Matt, she then said "But he's not you. I…I love you too Matt! You make me feel…"

Matt smiled, knowing she was opening up to him.

"Whole. Like my family was never missing. Or taken from me." She whispered, looking at him with light filled eyes "I almost died when I thought you were killed. I couldn't take the thought of another loss."

Matt just smiled, looking at her with a happy smile "Thank you Heather, I hope I live up to how you view me."

"Trust me Matt, you exceed it." She whispered, looking up at the stars.

At that, they just sat there and watched the moon slowly start to rise over the ocean. Its growing light began to drown the stars away and kiss everything with a white tone.

"Hey, what's that?" Heather asked looking ahead and pointing out to the ocean.

Squinting, Matt stared in the direction she was pointing at. Two black dots were flying low in the sky, just above the water. They were both heading straight for the Edge too and getting closer. The dots then began to form into figures, flying straight at them. Standing up and walking to the edge of the deck, he kept on staring at them. Then, just as he was sure they were under attack, one of the figures did a mid-air front flip.

"Sleuther!" Heather cried out happily "It's Ukiah and Arrow!"

"Well, I guess that makes sense. He said he'd be back near this time." Matt replied, relieved that it wasn't anyone else. "Wonder if they found anything."

"Guess we'll find out, huh?" Heather replied, smiling at Matt.

"I guess so." He agreed, waving his arms and flagging Ukiah down.

Arrow quickly turned to head towards them, with Sleuther right behind him. Pulling up just a few feet from the deck, Ukiah quickly dismounted. Lifting his cloak's hood, he flashed a small smile at the two. "Evening, guys. Looks like you were successful with Garff and his new home."

"That's a tale we'll have to tell you all about later." Matt huffed, rolling his eyes at the thought.

"How about you? Any luck with your recon mission?" Heather asked, walking up to Arrow and scratching his head. Arrow growled happily as he rubbed against her. Letting sand trickle out of the corners of his mouth, he looked up at her with his wide, green eyes.

"Didn't need luck." Ukiah replied quickly, his smile quickly disappearing "Followed a small fleet that led me straight to the shipyard. After watching them for a couple of hours, I found out it was Darien's. She's now in charge of the shipyard."

Matt's face grew dark at the mention of Darien. Letting out a long sigh, he asked "How many ships are there?"

"Including Darien's fleet, eight ships." He replied "They don't seem to be expecting much. They're just doing regular maintenance and small repairs. I'm guessing it's a reserve fleet. After what we've already done to the Hunters, I'm sure they're thinking twice about sending their ships wherever they want to."

"Good. We can hit them without them expecting it." Matt summarized.

"Hey, I'll take care of Arrow and Sleuther for you, Ukiah." Heather said aloud, guiding Arrow towards the dragon hanger "You go with Matt and tell Hiccup about the shipyard."

"You sure?" He asked, watching Arrow happily follow her "It's not much for me to-"

"Just go with it, Ukiah." Matt jested "She's stubborn and hard headed. She won't take no for an answer."

"See? Matt can remember a few things about me!" Heather laughed. Turning her attention to Arrow, she then asked "Ready to have some fresh Herring, Arrow? How about you Sleuther?"

Both Arrow and Sleuther growled excitedly. Sleuther used his pincers to push Heather ahead, while Arrow jogged alongside.

"Easy! We're going! We're going!" She laughed, being carried away by the two dragons.

"She's got a special place in Arrow's heart. That's for sure." Ukiah commented, smiling as Arrow continued to rub against her.

"She's very unique that way." Matt added, letting a small smile grow on his face "She's like that with everyone. She makes others feel special."

"Agreed." Ukiah whispered, looking down "The entire reason why I really came back." Looking at Matt, he then said "Come on, let's go talk to Hiccup. See what he wants to do with this shipyard."

"Right behind ya'." He replied, watching Heather disappear into hanger with the dragons.

* * *

"Teton! Move behind Windshear and follow up after her!" Matt ordered, barrel rolling right over a dummy ship. In one sweep, Wasatch spewed a beam of lightning, slicing the small ship in half.

"Windshear! Fire!" Heather shouted, letting Windshear sling her tail around. A hail of her arrow like quills rained down on another boat, ripping dozens of small holes through its hull. Teton was quick to dive at where the boat sank. Pulling up and stopping just feet above the water, he screeched loudly and arced lightning in a large circle around him, creating a spider web that ripped through the remaining ships. Growling angrily, Teton eyed the damaged ships with his white eyes.

"Teton! Up! Up!" Matt shouted, staring at the second Skrill hovering above the water.

Wasatch quickly looked up at Matt with his signature expression; his eyes a bright white with small pupils, showing that he was indeed raging. In one burst of his wings, he launched himself up towards Matt and Wasatch, with Heather and Windshear next to them.

"We're clear Hiccup! You're up!" Matt shouted, guiding Wasatch up and into the sun; pretending as if they were being fired upon.

Hiccup and the rest of the gang flew from around a massive pillar, concealing where they were hiding. Urging Toothless to fly faster towards the fleet of dummy ships, he held his hand back and watched the ships get closer and closer. Then, as they flew over the ships, he signaled with his hand by making a dropping motion. At the same instant, he dropped two containers right over his designated boat.

"Fire Toothless!" He shouted, watching the containers break over the deck of the small ship.

Toothless instantly fired a plasma blast, smashing into the ship below. The ship then exploded in a much larger explosion than usual, leaving Matt and Heather smiling at the sight. The Nightmare Gel bombs were working a lot better than expected.

Astrid was right behind him, also dropping her containers. Stormfly let out a stream of fire at the same time, hitting the containers out of the air. A fiery pillar rained down on her ship, effectively setting it ablaze.

"Wow. That's a lot more effective than what I thought." Heather commented, letting Windshear stop in a hover.

"We'll see." Matt huffed, watching the rest of the rider "We still have Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs waiting to drop thei- oh. Never mind."

As he spoke, the rest dropped their containers on their designated ships. Well, attempted to drop all their containers. Every single one missed with the exception of Fishlegs, who happened to have one of his smash into the side of the ship.

"Great. That's only…" Matt groaned, counting the remaining ships "Four of them left."

By this time, Hiccup and Astrid pulled up next to them. Hiccup shook his head in disappointment at the others performance "Slow and inaccurate. That's not going to work for us"

"Not over yet. Look." Heather called out with a smile. Pointing, she laughed "Ukiah's still got something to say about that!"

Everyone watched as they saw a streak cut through the air, with a torpedo gliding in the water under it. It being both Sleuther and Arrow.

Sleuther roared as he landed on a ship. In one smooth motion, he did a quick spin while extending his triple tail out. The three tails made quick work of the mast of the ship as well as the side. The mast crashed into the deck, puncturing it. The side that received the brunt of the tail slash gave out, concaving on itself and letting water pour in. Sleuther roared triumphantly as he bolted into the air and away from the ships.

The torpedo in the water then crashed into one of the ships, breaking the deck below and letting water begin to fill it like a tub. Then, on the other side of the sinking ship, burst out Arrow with Ukiah on his back. Arrow landed on the ship while flooding the deck with a layer of burning sand, letting it start to burn the soggy wood. Ukiah grabbed one of his closed vials in his pouch. Hurling it at the burning deck, he launched Arrow into the air as it exploded, creating a smokescreen to protect his exit.

Flying up high, he turned to see the last ship bob up and down in the water, unscathed from the mock assault. Frowning, he just shook his head as he regrouped with the others.

"Wow. That was pretty impressive." Astrid acknowledged, only to quickly correct herself as the others stared at her "I mean, for someone that's been fighting for most of his life, it was alright."

"What happened?" Ukiah huffed out loud as he stopped in front of the group "I thought you said I should only be cleaning up at most two ships. And that was if something was messed up!"

Hiccup just shook his head, turning to face Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs. "Remember guys, we have one shot at this! We have to get it right on the first and only try." He began to instruct, his eyes narrowing with the seriousness of the situation.

"Uh, Hiccup?" Fishlegs replied "Why are we rushing this attack on his shipyard?"

"Because with the recent losses of his islands, ships, dragon fighting pit, and the Deathsong egg he was looking for, Viggo's going to start either reinforcing or retaliating against us." Ukiah growled, glaring at Fishlegs.

"Not that he hasn't retaliated enough against us." Matt added sarcastically. Turning to the rest of the gang, he further explained "Time isn't on our side. If we don't do this within the week, then we lose this chance."

"Come on. Let's go." Heather called out "We've been at this all day. Let's practice one more day tomorrow and then see if we're ready to take down Viggo's fleet."

Hiccup turned to see the sun starting to set. Sighing, he then agreed "Fair enough. Fishlegs, you're up for cooking tonight. Everyone else, clean up and get ready for bed. We're getting up early tomorrow morning."

"Ugh, really?" Matt huffed, gliding Wasatch next to Toothless as they all began to glide back to Dragon's Edge "How about those that were flawless? Any leniency for them?"

"Matt. Not now." Hiccup groaned, shaking his head. Looking at him, he then asked "How did Teton do?"

Matt sighed at the fact that he would be waking up early. Looking forward with a concerned expression, he replied "He's good, but I'm a little worried about him. He's really exposed when he arcs his lightning in that circle pattern he does. He's not sinking those ships. I'm not sure how safe he'll be if we let him follow Heather."

"Why isn't his lightning sinking the boats? Wasatch doesn't have a problem with that." Hiccup commented, surprised that Teton didn't sink any of the practice boats.

Matt shook his head in frustration, saying "He's bigger than Wasatch physically, but when it comes to controlling lightning, I feel that Wasatch is stronger in that regard. Teton can break rocks when focusing on a single lightning strike, but Wasatch shatters them whenever he wants to." Glancing back at Hiccup, he then suggested "I'm thinking I'll ride Teton tomorrow for practice and let Wasatch fly solo. My reasoning being if Teton focuses on one ship, he'll be more effective that way."

Hiccup nodded at the logic, commenting "Sounds like a solid plan. I don't know how you're juggling two dragons. Especially them being both Skrills."

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Matt groaned, turning to see Teton fly closer to him. Though a lot more serious and less tolerant with his jokes than Wasatch, Matt knew that the massive Skrill cared for him just as much. It was just time and experiences they were lacking when compared to Matt's and Wasatch's bond. In one smooth motion, Matt unbuckled his bindings. Letting Wasatch get closer to Teton, he then leapt over and grabbed Teton's head.

Surprised that he jumped on him, Teton tried to help him on by twisting his head to pull Matt on.

Swinging his leg over, Matt was finally able to get himself situated on him. Scratching Teton's head, he noticed Wasatch turn and glare at him. "Hey! I've been riding you a lot lately! It's his turn!" He cried out, not liking Wasatch trying to guilt him.

Hiccup laughed as the Skrill continued to glare at Matt, as if he didn't matter anymore. "Hey, I'll see you in a bit! Toothless and I might try to get a little shuteye before dinner."

"Don't blame you one bit on that." Matt called out focusing on his room. Letting Teton handle the landing, he promptly slid off and resumed petting the massive Skrill. Looking Teton over, he just shook his head in amazement. He had to be a Titan wing. At least for a Skrill. When next to Wasatch, he towered over him. And how he was able to train him, he had no idea. He just got lucky. Again.

"You ok, Matt?" Heather asked, landing Windshear next to Wasatch "Saw you jump onto Teton."

"Yeah, just figured I'd ride him. Been awhile since I have." He explained, turning to look at her. Flipping the question, he asked "How are you doing? How did Windshear do?"

Heather smiled as she turned to stroke Windshear's neck, who growled happily as she did so. "She did great. I just hope what we're doing will prepare us enough for the actual mission."

"Me too." Matt replied with a somber look "I don't know why, but I've been a little hesitant with the whole idea of destroying this shipyard."

"Care to explain why?" A voice asked behind them.

Turning around, the two saw Ukiah walk up to them with Arrow and Sleuther close behind. Arrow roared happily as he darted in-between the Skrills and stopped right in front of Heather. With his teeth filled smile, he looked up at Windshear happily, who also smiled and growled at him.

"Hey Ukiah!" Heather replied, scratching Arrow's head "That was pretty cool how you and Arrow took down those ships. Sleuther too."

Sleuther smiled as he looked down at Ukiah. Still learning to become independent, he did learn when he was being talked about, though understanding orders and conversations was still a weak link. Ukiah smiled as he rubbed the Triple Stryke's side. "They did pretty good. Sleuther's learned two commands so far: attack, and stop."

"Pretty important ones if you ask me." Matt replied with a smile as he deactivated his brace. Letting the strain of riding secretly sink in, he then turned attention away from him by asking "Be real with me Ukiah. Do we have a chance at sinking these ships?"

"I don't know. If Darien was placed in charge, I'd like to say yes." Ukiah replied, frowning at the thought "But Viggo can't be ignoring his losses. Especially when we've been the one's responsible for them."

Matt just nodded, pondering what the future might bring.

"Come on. Let's get some dinner. Maybe we can help Fishlegs." Heather interrupted with Arrow glued to her side. Walking over to Matt, she then grabbed his arm and swung it over her shoulder. "I know you're hurting a little. You can't hide that from me."

"Great. I'm going to have to be extra sneaky with you." He huffed sarcastically, smiling at her. At that, he began to limp towards the clubhouse. Turning to his Skrills, he then instructed them "Go on and get some dinner at the Hanger. I'm sure Fishlegs made sure the feeders were stocked up this morning Herring.

Growling happily at the thought of eating, the Skrills launched into the air, with Windshear and Sleuther right behind. Arrow however, remained at Heather's side.

"I don't know what you did, but Arrow adores you, Heather." Ukiah commented, shaking his head at Arrow's persistence to stay next to her.

"Ah, he's just being friendly." She smiled, looking down at the happy Sand Wraith.

"So, what's got you concerned about raiding the shipyard?" Ukiah asked, walking alongside.

"I don't know. It just seems to easy." Matt replied "Sure we can do damage and sink their ships. But as important as this target is, why does it seem less defended than most of their fleets that are sailing?"

"Because Viggo doesn't know that we found it?" Heather suggested, walking step for step with him "It could be like that island that Ukiah and Hiccup were captured on. No defenses to not draw attention to itself."

"I'm not buying that." Matt replied "Besides, that island was just a trap. Like it or not, Viggo is an incredibly smart guy. But he's also a manipulative one. He's been trying to twist me and Hiccup in regards to thinking one of the Rider's is going to betray us."

"Has that crossed your mind as a possibility?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow at him "Because I'll be honest, I'm new here. I don't have the depth or relationship you guys have."

"It has. Just to entertain the thought." Matt replied with a shrug "But nothing like what Viggo is suggesting. I figured if someone did 'betray' Hiccup again, it's down to three people. We figured if it was you, you'd just leave us to either stop Viggo or to find Crev. If it was Heather, she'd be chasing after Dagur."

"Accurate." She replied with a dark expression growing on her face.

"And if it was me, I'd chase after Darien." He continued to say, making both Heather and Ukiah look at him strangely. He then explained "Remember, I've been here just as long as Heather. I may be related to Hiccup, but that doesn't mean I'm exempt from mistakes. Or rash decisions."

Nodding in understanding, Ukiah then opened the door to the clubhouse, revealing Fishlegs serving up some smoked Herring and some kind of boiled root. "We'll talk after dinner. I'm feeling a little hungry."

"Agreed." Heather answered, guiding Matt to where they usually sit.

Snotlout glared at the two as they made their way into the clubhouse. "Ah there they are. The other love birds." He huffed in annoyance, seeing Heather helping Matt "You know Heather, I'm pretty healthy and don't need to be babysat or carried from room to room."

"Neither does Matt." She quickly replied, letting a mischievous grin grow on her face. "He's done so much in helping us that I'm simply trying to show him how grateful I am." Winking at Snotlout, she teased "I'm actually trying to get him to like me."

Snotlout gaped at her in shock. "Wait! You two aren't a couple?!"

Matt burst out laughing, which was followed by everyone else in the room. Pulling a chair out for her, he then went with the joke "Nope. I'm still having issues with her. I'm just waiting for her to betray us again. Maybe even take me hostage a second time!"

Heather then jokingly elbowed him, forcing him to sit down next to her "Maybe I'll do it tonight! What say you?"

"Heh, guess you two did have an exciting first date." Ukiah commented, taking a seat next to Fishlegs and Tuffnut

"You can say that again." Astrid piped in, grinning at the two "Heather almost drowned him. And then was about to amputate his arms when Dagur learned Hiccup knew him."

Heather shook her head in disbelief, not believing what she was about to do to her best friend; and the one that cared about her.

"Oh, my favorite part was that she never actually wanted to kill me." Matt added, making everyone look at him in surprise "She was just going to let me die all alone on a frozen, winter wasteland. Right, Heather?"

"Okay, that's enough about me!" Heather growled, glaring at Matt "I'm a lot different now than I was then!"

"I know! It's just fun to tease you." Matt snickered, grabbing a plate and handing it to her "Since we are the most unlikely couple."

"So…it's official, huh?" Astrid asked, a sincere smile growing on her face.

"As official as we can get." Matt confirmed. Turning to Snotlout, he then apologized "Sorry Snotlout, we were just teasing you. We are serious with each other. But what you said is true, you are a lot healthier than me. I even think more capable than me."

"Hmph." Snotlout grunted, dishing himself up some of the Herring "It's not over until she says 'I do'."

"Okay, now we're getting ahead of ourselves!" Heather said loudly, also dishing herself some of the fish. Wanting to change the subject, she then asked "So Ukiah, have you had any other thoughts regarding your island Crev?" Feeling herself bumped in the back, she turned to see Arrow looking at her with his piercing green eyes. Smiling, she slipped him some of her smoked Herring, whispering "Don't tell Windshear!"

Arrow growled quietly, quickly scarfing the fish down.

"No. Not really." Ukiah replied, shaking his head at the subject "I kind of gave up on that. At least until we get this Hunter situation under control. Besides, I'm sticking with my plan. The more we deal with the Hunters, the higher the chance I'll learn where Crev is. I'm sure they have a map or chart of some kind."

"Not that we haven't already hurt him and his operations enough." Matt added sarcastically, taking a bite out of a large piece of Herring "Mmhhmm…you did good Fishlegs!"

"Thank you!" He replied, smiling at the compliment.

"So, this shipyard. It didn't have any serious defenses?" Astrid asked, looking at Ukiah with interest.

"Not really. The usual tower and catapult. That was al-" Ukiah answered, only to be cut off by Hiccup who had ran into the clubhouse.

"He-Hey guys!" He said aloud, making everyone turn to look at him "How's it going?"

"Just enjoying this amazing dinner!" Matt replied with a mouthful. Gesturing to take a seat, he added "Come and have some!"

Hiccup didn't take a seat, but instead asked "So! What were you guys talking about Dagur?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at him in confusion.

"We weren't talking about Dagur. What brings up him up anyways?" Fishlegs asked, looking at him skeptically.

Matt's blood froze, knowing Hiccup wouldn't have brought it up unless he was ready to tell everyone what happened to him on his solo recon mission, or something else.

"No reason. But since we're talking about Dagur now, have you ever wondered why he helped Heather find Astrid on Viggo's island?" He asked, glancing to see Heather's reaction.

Matt's head also whipped towards Heather, watching her reaction with being forced into the conversation.

Heather's face darkened as she dropped her fork. "Why is Dagur and my history being the hot topic tonight?" She growled, glaring at Hiccup "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Stay with me, has that ever been a question on anyone's mind?" Hiccup pressed, watching her carefully "I mean, that just shows he's no longer with the Hunters."

"He did that so that he could escape himself." Heather growled "It doesn't excuse what he did to me in the past! Or what he did to you guys!" Sitting straight up in her chair, she then yelled "He's the reason why I lost my family! Twice! Then just of the last year, he almost killed me when he captured the two of us, remember Hiccup? He left a sword in me and kept me pinned to his sinking ship!" Looking at Matt, she then said "He almost killed Matt countless times. He let Darien torture me and Astrid! He was laughing when Astrid was bleeding on that Hunter's ship!" She then pounded the table in anger, which resulted in tipping her cup over and spilling its contents all over her armored skirt.

"Ah, I gotcha covered." Matt quickly replied, grabbing rag and handing it to her. He tried to send a death glare to Hiccup, to signal him to stop talking about it.

"A dragon doesn't change its markings!" Heather continued to growl, swiping the rag from Matt and cleaning herself up.

"Except uh-" Fishlegs began to say.

"Except for a Changewing, yes, I know." She growled, grabbing her axe and wiping the blade clean.

"And a-" Fishlegs continued to say.

"Fishlegs! You get the point!" Matt shouted, knowing Heather was about to explode.

"You're right! You're probably right." Hiccup began to say, trying to calm Heather "But then again, who would've thought my dad, Stoick the Vast, would ever learn to ride a dragon? You never know; maybe he's changed. Maybe he's trying to become Dagur the Reformed. What if he helped you to show that he's trying to change and cares about you?"

"Hiccup! The only thing he cares about is taking everything I value in my life! The next time I see Dagur, I'll split that family-killer in two!" Heather roared, unable to contain her anger. Standing up, she swung her cleaned axe as hard as she could into the closest object to her right; being Matt's chair.

"Agh!" He cried out, feeling the chair get shattered from the force. Crashing onto the ground, he barely had time to realize what happened before Heather was already standing over him.

"Oh my gods! I'm so sorry Matt!" She cried, grabbing his arm and picking him up "I just- I'm sorry. I had to vent."

"Well you certainly made your point." He huffed, letting her pull him up "Don't apologize, it's still a sensitive subject to talk about." Looking at Hiccup angrily, he then said "Hiccup, I don't know what you were trying to get out of her by talking about Dagur, but can I have a word with you?" Looking at everyone, he then added with a frustrated tone "Alone."

"Uh…ye-yeah." Hiccup stuttered "But first I need to tell you and Heather something. I have a special mission for you two."

Checking to make sure Matt was alright, Heather then asked "Really? What kind of mission?"

"It's a recon mission. I need you two to go scout the island that the shipyard is located at." Hiccup explained "You two were flawless with your practice today. So while we practice sinking ships, you two can go and see how fortified it is. To see if it's changed."

"I guess that makes sense." Heather announced, agreeing with him and making sure Matt was standing on his own.

"Alright, we'll make a quick trip out of it." Matt seconded "We'll head out in the morning."

"And I need you to go tonight!" Hiccup quickly added in a panicked voice, making both Matt and Heather gape at him.

"Wha-what?!" Heather cried out "Are you trying to get rid of us?"

"Yes-no! No! Of course not! Wh-why would I do that?" He stammered, confirming to Matt that something was off with him.

"Relax Hiccup! I'm kidding!" Heather laughed, seeing him flush red in the face. Looking at Matt, she then said "I'll pack up your things for you. That's the least I can do since I broke your chair."

"Ah, good. I'm glad you at least pretend to care about me." Matt teased, lightly kissing her on the cheek. Turning to Hiccup, his smile quickly disappeared into a scowl "Come on Hiccup. We really need to talk."

Sighing, Hiccup followed Matt and Heather out. Stopping out on the deck, the two Haddock's watched Heather continue to walk to their room, leaving them behind.

"Hiccup, I can beat you for doing that to Heather; you know that right?" Matt said aloud, turning to glare at him "You were all over the board when you were talking about Dagur. And in case you missed it, you really ticked her off when you were saying that he could have changed."

"I know." Hiccup replied, looking down sheepishly.

"So are you going to tell me why the hell you brought him up?" Matt asked gruffly, making Hiccup look at him in alarm "Come on, I know something happened that made you bring up that subject."

Sighing, Hiccup shook his head as he looked down. "Dagur's here."

"Wait. Here?! As in, at Dragon's Edge?!" Matt gasped, his angry expression changing to a look of horror.

"Yeah, he was waiting in my room after our practice run. He's camping on the far side of the island. He…he asked me to train him how to ride a dragon." Hiccup continued "I owe him that much for saving me. And to keep Heather from killing him."

"Which is why you're sending us away." Matt observed, making the connection in his mind.

"It's so messed up." Hiccup groaned, shaking his head.

Matt thought about what Hiccup was saying. Looking at him in the eyes, he then asked "Do you think he's changed?"

"…I don't know…" Hiccup whispered "Even so, I promised I'd help him learn to ride a dragon."

Sighing, Matt made a decision that he didn't want to do, but knew he had too. "Ukiah! Come out here for a second!"

Hiccup looked at Matt in horror, unsure of what he was doing. Before he could say anything, Ukiah walked out of the club house with a concerned look, wondering why he was being called out.

"Listen, Hiccup wasn't really wanting to send me on this recon mission." Matt began to explain "He was just thinking of me being with Heather. Can you take my place and go with her?"

Surprised at the request, Ukiah then suggested "Are you sure? I can stay and help Hiccup so you can go with her."

"I'm sure. Hiccup and I are going to work with Wasatch and Teton to more effectively sink ships. You were flawless in your role as well, and it'll be better for me to stay and you go." Matt continued to explain. Extending his hand out to him, he then asked "Can you watch over her for me?"

Seeing that Matt was trusting him to protect her, Ukiah instantly grasped his hand "Of course! I'll get my things packed!" At that, he turned and ran to the hanger, being his temporary room. Stopping her turned to Hiccup with a smile, saying "Oh, and Hiccup." Making sure he had his attention, he slung a crossbow from around his back "Thanks for the crossbow! Pretty ingenious!"

Hiccup smiled at seeing the marvel in his friend's hands. The modified crossbow had a slot in the middle of the stock, holding a total of five bolts. Every time Ukiah would pull back the mechanism, a single crossbow bolt would be pushed up by a spring, letting it reload itself. "That was Matt's idea actually. He's the one that suggested that."

"Well, thanks." Ukiah replied with a wide smile "If I have to, I'll put it to good use!" At that he turned and continued to jog to the hanger.

Watching Ukiah leave, Hiccup then asked "Why did you do that?"

"Because it's Dagur." Matt replied quietly, still watching Ukiah jog into the hanger "Remember that we all spent a couple of days and nights trying to find you and Ukiah when you were captured? The last thing I want to do is learn you're missing again. Or worse." Turning to Hiccup, he then growled "After this Hiccup, no more secrets. From anyone! Heather, Astrid, the twins, Fishlegs, Ukiah, even Snotlout! If something happens, you need to tell all of us! Got it?"

"Got it Matt. I do." Hiccup agreed, feeling bad about the subject. Refusing to tell a secret almost killed Matt; so of anyone of the Riders, he had the most rights to lecture him on the subject.

"One more thing, I'm coming with you." Matt continued to say "You'll train him, but I'm going to make sure nothing sneaky happens. Alright?"

Looking up at Matt, Hiccup just nodded. How could he say no? He was keeping a secret from Heather, who was directly affected by it. "Sure, I'll agree to that. We'll leave early in the morning."

"Sounds good." Matt acknowledged. Walking past Hiccup, he then said "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to tell Heather that I'm not going with her. She's not gonna be happy about this. Not that she's in a good mood to begin with."

Hiccup just watched Matt walk away, thinking of what he said; about keeping secrets. Someone always seemed to get hurt, and he was hoping that this wasn't going to end the same way.

* * *

 ** _Here you go! We're not starting to build into the climax of the story. Don't worry, it's still got a little bit of time before it really kicks off, but think of this as the first domino piece! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm going to try and be a lot more frequent in updating after next Thursday. I'll be finished with finals and all. Hope everything is well for all you guys!_**

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


	14. Chapter 14: A Dagur in the Back

**Chapter Fourteen: A Dagur in the Back**

* * *

Hiccup quickly awoke. Staring out of the window next to his bed, he saw the dark sky start to turn grey, signaling that the long night was over. Technically, that was his some-teenth time he woke up. With the thought of Dagur being on their island, it was hard to get any kind of sleep. That, and the small fact that he promised to teach him how to ride a dragon.

Sighing, he groaned as he rolled out of bed, letting the covers fall to the floor. Staring out of the window, he let out a long sigh. He didn't even know if he should teach Dagur how to ride a dragon. For all he knew, it was just a rouse that would give the Hunters two soldiers and leaders riding dragons. Maybe even the knowledge of how to train more their own dragons.

Looking over at where Toothless lay, he then thought of what convinced him that Dagur had indeed changed; at least, showing that he was trying. He was being pulled onto a Hunter's ship, probably heading straight to Viggo's base. There was no way for him to escape, with a Hunter dragging him and his hands tied in front. Then the sight that took his and his captor's breath away. Dagur was riding Toothless. Toothless made quick work of the remaining Hunters, blasting and strafing the temporary camp.

"What do I do bud?" He whispered, quietly walking to Toothless. Resting his hand on his friend's head, he gently woke him up. "Hey bud." He whispered with a smile "We better go get Matt. You know, before Dagur decides to come back here to get us."

Toothless let out a long yawn, stretching as he did so. Looking up at Hiccup with wide eyes, he let a toothless smile grow as he then licked him right on the face.

"Ugh! Toothless!" Hiccup groaned loudly, backing off and trying to wipe himself dry "Really? This early?"

Toothless just laughed at him, as if daring him to come at him.

"Fine, let's get going." He huffed in annoyance, lightly hitting Toothless. Walking out of his room and shutting the door, he was about to head to Matt when he heard a thump. It sounded like something hit a solid surface, like a thud. Confused, he waited to hear it again. Even Toothless perked his ears up to try and figure out what it was.

Thud! There it was again. Toothless then walked over to the edge of the deck, looking down. Smiling, he growled happily and fidgeted. Hiccup jogged to see what made Toothless so happy, and was shocked to see Matt in their little arena, throwing his hatchet at a mounted shield. Teton and Wasatch were wrestling each other, which Teton had easily pinned Wasatch.

Confused as to why he was up so early, he quickly climbed on Toothless and let him glide down towards the three.

Hearing Toothless growl as he landed, Matt let a small smile grow on his face as he pulled his hatchet out of the shield. "'Bout time you wake up. I was debating on getting you up."

"Well to be fair, that's the first time you really beat me out of bed." Hiccup chuckled, relaxing on Toothless "What are you doing up so early?"

"Heather asked me to start practicing with my hatchet. She's going to teach me how to fight better with it." Matt explained, sliding it in a leather loop on his belt "Figured I'd keep my word."

Hiccup nodded in understanding.

"Besides that, I couldn't sleep anyways." He continued to say, walking to where Teton had let Wasatch get back up.

"Thinking of Dagur too?" Hiccup asked, watching Matt climb onto Teton and strap himself in.

"Yeah. And Heather." He answered. Testing the bindings, he looked up at Hiccup and added "I mean, we sent her and Ukiah to our target just to keep this secret. We don't expect anything to go wrong, but then again, it's us we're talking about. We don't account for the unexpected."

"I understand, Matt. I do." Hiccup replied "But if we didn't send her away, we both know she would have killed Dagur."

Matt just snorted angrily and glared at Hiccup. "Maybe that would be best, don't you think?"

Hiccup sighed, shaking his head at the comment. "Come on, let's get going. I sent the dragon that Dagur's going to train near him last night." He replied, letting Toothless launch into the air.

Matt let Teton surge after Toothless, with Wasatch close behind. "Why don't you want to end Dagur? He did so many things to us. He tried to kill you more than a few times. He tried to kill me! Remember?"

"I remember-" Hiccup answered, only to be cut off.

"Hiccup, he almost killed Heather. His own sister; and he didn't even care. He tortured her and Windshear for months when we-"

"I know, Matt!" Hiccup replied angrily "I haven't forgotten any of that. Years ago, he trapped all my friends in Berk's arena and turned their dragons against them with dragon root!" Looking down, he shook his head in frustration "All the logic in the world is telling me what you're saying: to end him. To make sure he doesn't hurt anyone again." Then with a fire in his eyes, he explained "But my heart is telling me no. That he is changed. Or at least changing."

"I hope you're right, Hiccup" Matt growled "Not only are we flying into a potential trap, but you're making me keep this a secret from Heather. If she learns that we were helping Dagur, do you know how she'll react?"

"That's why I'm trying to get him off this island as soon as possible." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes.

"Being the reason why I'm coming with you in the first place." Matt muttered to himself, also rolling his eyes. He loved Hiccup for who he was, aside from being his relative. But that didn't mean he wasn't frustrated with him sometimes. He just wished that he saw common sense on the few occasions when it mattered.

"This way." Hiccup called out while diving, leading Matt and his Skrills down to grove of trees.

Matt followed, frowning angrily at Hiccup. Even if they took Dagur to Berk, it would be better than to let him be on the Edge. Especially with an important mission such as the shipyard was on the line.

Then the sight that made his blood boil. Dagur.

"Finally!" He shouted, running to where Hiccup landed "Not angry, just excited!" Looking over at where Matt and the Skrills landed, he gasped in excitement "Are you letting me ride a Skrill?! Oh, you shouldn't have!"

Wasatch growled angrily at Dagur, since he wasn't saddled. Letting lightning run up and down his back, he began to advance on Dagur.

"Wasatch! Back!" Matt shouted, leaping off of Teton. Stopping his dragon, he turned and glared at Dagur.

"Uh, Dagur." Hiccup began to say, glancing between him and Matt "Those Skrills are M-"

"Mine! Both mine?!" Dagur exclaimed, eyes lighting up in excitement. Running past Hiccup, he bolted to Teton, shouting "Death Killer! It's me! Oh Hiccup! Thank yo-"

"Teton!" Matt roared, pointing at the ground in front of Dagur. Teton instantly responded, firing the charged lightning bolt where Matt pointed, stopping Dagur in his tracks; and proving he still didn' like Dagur.

"Dagur!" Hiccup shouted, putting himself in-between him and Matt "The Skrills aren't yours! They're Matt's. He trained them!"

"Oh. I see." Dagur replied, staring at the charred ground from Teton's lightning bolt "I guess that narrows down the dragon I want to ride." Looking at Matt, he then suggested "Unless you want to help me find another Skrill, Matt. How are you doing anyways? It's good to see you, uh, at least not limping!"

Matt growled as he stepped up to Dagur. Getting right next to him, he hissed "One chance, Dagur. You have one chance before I let Teton and Wasatch fry you from the inside out. Hiccup may be the one trusting you and teaching you how to ride a dragon, but I don't have to like it. Nor will I ever like it."

"Oh, I get it." Dagur replied "Right, one shot at redemption! Gotcha Matt!"

Matt recoiled back in confusion and anger. Dagur was being cooperative. It seemed fake at first, but every sentence he said seemed to have a sincerity to it. Shaking his head, he then huffed "Just don't do anything suspicious."

"Right! I gotcha covered." Dagur replied happily. Then, a little sheepishly, he asked "Have you seen Heather? I know, uh, I know she likes you; and I've been dying trying to find her. Hiccup told me she left you guys again to hide from me and the Hunters; can't say I blame her."

Matt glanced at Hiccup with a vein bulging out of his neck. He lied about not having Heather in their gang?! Seeing Hiccup's panicked face, he swallowed his anger and whispered "I haven't seen her since we saved Astrid from Strogg."

Bummed at the answer, Dagur only nodded. Turning to Hiccup, he then said "Well, all the more reason to start riding a dragon. I was thinking of something that makes a statement. You know, like Matt's Skrills. You don't know where one could be hanging around, do you?"

"What? No!" Hiccup replied in shock at Dagur's thought of a dragon.

"Well I suppose I could settle for a Night Fury."

Toothless growled in surprise and anger, being compared secondly to a Skrill.

"Doesn't have the same 'zhush' as a Skrill, but I could get by." Dagur continued to say, not seeing Toothless' death glare.

"Sorry, he's one of a kind." Hiccup replied patiently, folding his arms and glaring at Dagur.

"A Razorwhip? Like Heathers?" Dagur asked with a hopeful expression.

Matt just shook his head at the thought of Dagur trying to get back with Heather. There was no way he could be her brother again. Not after what he did to her.

"Dagur, I have a dragon already picked out for you." Hiccup replied, turning to walk deeper into the grove.

Dagur smiled happily, glancing at Matt and then back to Hiccup.

The sight made Matt sick to his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was because he was watching him bluff his way through a lie, or that he was sincerely trying to be kind. Seeing the effort he was putting in to make nice comments was frightening. How bad or violent of a person was he if he had to strain this hard to be good?

Hiccup then whistled loudly, staring at a field of bushes. Matt watched for Hiccup's selected dragon to emerge, wondering what Hiccup had decided would be best for Dagur.

"He's awesome, right?" He asked excitedly, staring at the rustling bushes "And dangerous? Because I already picked out a name! Shattermaster!"

Just as he said the name, Matt had to stifle a laugh as he watched a happy looking, green Gronckle leap over the bushes and towards Dagur. Stopping just feet away from him, Shattermaster just smiled at him with his tongue hanging out to the side, panting excitedly.

"Is, uh…this my dragon's snack?" Dagur asked, looking at Hiccup in disbelief and disappointment.

"No, this is Shattermaster." Hiccup replied with an assuring smile "Stable, easy to ride-"

"Yeah, thanks, but no thanks." Dagur cut in, looking at Hiccup angrily "I am not riding that dragon!"

"Then you're not riding any dragon." Hiccup quickly replied, his face set as stone.

"It's beneath me! I'm a chief, Hiccup!" Dagur shouted, turning away from Shattermaster.

Matt shook his head angrily. Dagur was still the same, even when trying to be 'nice'.

"Not yet." Hiccup argued, his facial expression not changing "Prove to me that you can even get on him."

Turning to look at Shattermaster, Dagur let out a puff of air. "Pphhh. Easy." He groaned, rolling his eyes.

Matt smiled as he watched him jump to get on the happy looking Gronckle, only to fall flat on his back. The dragon wagged its bulky tail happily, thinking he was playing a game. At that, it turned and began to run away.

"I got this." Dagur grunted, springing to his feet. Chasing the Gronckle, he got closer and closer to it.

"Dagur! Stop!" Hiccup cried out, making Matt laugh even louder.

Too late. Dagur leapt onto the back of Shattermaster and quickly paid the price for doing so.

Shattermaster quickly bucked him off into the air. Then, without even looking, used his tail to bat him backwards.

"Aggh!" Dagur screamed, getting launched back.

Matt's smirk quickly disappeared as the Dagur missile smashed into him. "Gah!" He groaned, feeling himself crashing into Teton behind him.

"Are you two okay?!" Hiccup cried out, running to where they lay.

"Ugh, don't know." Matt groaned, trying to get his breath back after getting it knocked out of him. Trying to push Dagur off, he just glared at Hiccup.

"You made your point, Hiccup. We'll do it your way." Dagur groaned, finally getting off of Matt.

Matt grunted as Wasatch grabbed him by the tunic and pulled him up. Teton was growling angrily at Dagur for knocking down his rider.

"Easy boy, it was an accident." Matt growled through his teeth.

"Come on, let's start with the first lesson of dragon riding." Hiccup replied, guiding Dagur to follow him back to where Shattermaster stopped.

"Being what?" Dagur huffed with an annoyed tone.

"Getting his trust." Hiccup simply replied.

Brushing himself off, Matt just stared at Dagur. Narrowing his eyes as he watched Hiccup instruct him, he whispered to himself "Hiccup, we're going to have a very long talk about secrets after this."

* * *

Matt let Wasatch lazily glide in-between the trees, following Hiccup and Dagur closely. While watching over Hiccup, he took the time to ride both dragons, given that it was a rare opportunity to do so. Shaking his head, he continued to follow the two. After a few scares and close calls with his training, Hiccup finally managed to get Dagur to fly consistently in a straight line. Ish.

"You're steering him too much." Hiccup tutored, letting Toothless fly lazily next to Shattermaster "You need to trust your dragon. He doesn't want to hit the trees any more than you do." Gesturing to Matt behind them, he said "Watch Matt and Wasatch."

Getting the cue to show Dagur, Matt sighed as he urged Wasatch forward. The Skrill naturally accelerated and turned, rolling in between trees and under high branches. Matt tucked his knees and shifted his body as Wasatch twisted and turned.

"See? Matt isn't steering Wasatch. He's riding him. He's trusting his dragon to maneuver around obstacles."

Wasatch then fired lightning bolt and blew up a log that was in the way, clearing the route for them.

"And sometimes through them." Hiccup huffed sarcastically.

Dagur's eyes lit up as he watched Matt continue to skillfully ride through the forest. "Come on, Shattermaster! Let's see if your speed can keep up with Matt!" At that, he kicked Shattermaster to speed him up.

Shattermaster growled in shock at the kick. Almost instantly, he burst forward and ahead of Hiccup and Toothless. Shattermaster struggled to maneuver around a tree, but at the speed he was flying he quickly barreled towards it.

"Slow down! You're not ready for that spee- Oof!" He shouted as Dagur and Shattermaster crashed into the tree and then right into Hiccup and Toothless.

Matt and Wasatch whirled around to see the two and their dragons crashed on the ground. "Hiccup!" He shouted, letting Wasatch go rush to the fallen dragons and riders. Leaping off, he hit the ground running. Even with the brace, the action strained his leg a little, though he ignored it as he saw Shattermaster roll off of Hiccup.

"Hiccup! I'm sorry!" Dagur cried out, pushing himself off the ground "Bad Dagur, bad!"

"Why don't you do something and help him up then?" Matt barked, finally standing over Hiccup. Grabbing his arm and pulling him up, he let out a loud groan as he stared at Hiccup's prosthetic. It had a nasty bend in it at the joint, rendering it useless to even stand on.

"Ugh, thanks Matt." Hiccup huffed, balancing on one foot. Turning to Dagur, he then said as patiently as possible "You're trying to do too much too soon." Lifting his leg, he pulled off his foot and huffed in frustration "Look at this, I can't ride Toothless like this."

"Here, let me see it." Dagur replied with a sheepish smile, swiping it out of Hiccup's hand. Grunting, he then began to try to bend it back.

"No- no!" Hiccup tried to stop him, only to watch it break in half.

"Oops." Dagur whispered, looking at Hiccup as if he was in trouble.

"Ugh…it's fine. I have a spare back at my hut. I'll take your dragon and be back as soon as I can." Hiccup groaned, hopping towards Shattermaster while shaking his head.

"Hiccup, take Wasatch. I need to go find Teton anyways. He's probably still asleep in that grove." Matt said aloud, guiding him towards his patiently waiting Skrill.

"For the sake of speed, sure. I'll do that." Hiccup grunted, climbing on Wasatch's neck. Turning to Dagur, he then instructed him "Now stay right here. Don't go anywhere." Glaring at him, he reiterated "Don't do anything, all right?"

Dagur just looked down like a toddler being disciplined.

"I'll keep an eye on him after I get Teton. That lazy, electric lizard." Matt huffed, also glaring at Dagur.

Hiccup nodded to acknowledge what Matt said. Turning forward, he then said "Come on, Wasatch. Let's see if you really rival Toothless in speed."

Wasatch roared loudly as he launched into the air. Hiccup clung to him as he turned to head back to Dragon's Edge, eventually disappearing out of view.

"Huh, so…yeah." Dagur began to say awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Watching Matt begin to walk away; well, storm away, he then asked "You ok, Matt? You seem pretty tense."

Matt stopped mid-step. Turning around to glare at Dagur, he then growled "You can say that I'm a little tense, yeah."

"Because of…me?" Dagur asked, wincing as he didn't know he stepped too far.

"Yes! Exactly because of you!" Matt roared, now spinning his body around completely to square up to Dagur "Listen, I know that you saved Hiccup and Toothless; and that you guided Heather to find Astrid." Raising his finger at him, he then growled "But that doesn't excuse what you did! Not only did you try to kill my brother, Hiccup; you tried to kill me, Astrid, Fishlegs, the twins, Snotlout, and even your sister Heather! More than a couple of times! That's something that's, oh I don't know, pretty hard to look past!"

"I get it Matt, I wouldn't trust me either if I was in your boots." Dagur replied quietly, looking away from Matt "And it's true, I did try to kill you and the others. Even Heather. But I am trying to change!"

"Which makes perfect sense to your claim that you want her back in your life." Matt continued to growl. Pointing at Dagur, he hissed "I hate you, Dagur. I'll never look past what you did to her."

"Do you hate me for her sake?" Dagur asked, looking at Matt sorrowfully.

"She's had those she loves and values taken away from her one too many times, thanks to you." He replied angrily "For some reason, Hiccup thinks you've changed. I can't tell for myself, but I've learned to not let my guard down with you. If you so much as hurt Heather in any way, emotionally, mentally, or physically, I'll personally shove my knife down your throat."

"I, I actually agree with that." Dagur answered solemnly. Seeing Matt stare at him in confusion, he explained "You may not believe me, but I don't want to hurt her any more. I want to protect her. I want to be her big brother." Looking away from Matt, he softly added "When Darien left me, I realized that it was family that I was longing for. More importantly, with Heather."

"Hence, why you killed your dad." Matt spat, folding his arms and glaring at him.

"I never kil-eergghhmmm." Dagur shouted, only quickly reign his outburst in. Visibly choking down his anger, he whispered "Listen Matt. I can't change the past. All I can do is try and protect Heather now and in the future. And if that means letting her stay with you, so be it."

Matt's face lit up in shock and confusion, not sure what he meant.

"I know you care about her. I've seen it." He explained quietly "You won't let anything bad happen to her if you can help it. That's more than I can ask for." Looking at Matt in the eyes, he then asked "For my sake, when you find her, can you watch her for me?"

Matt stared at Dagur in awe. He could feel the sincerity of the plea. Dagur was indeed different; he was changing. It was unnerving. Shaking his head to snap himself out of the trance he fell into, he simply spun around and began to walk where he left Teton. "For her sake, yes. I'll watch over her." That was all he could say. He didn't know what to think. He just knew he had to get alone.

"Thank you." Dagur replied, watching him disappear into the trees. Thinking of Matt taking care of Heather, he let his mind drift to where he had watched her try to defend her when he had them captured. Matt only cared for her during that entire time. He saw Heather's commitment to him as well. Knowing that Matt would live up to his promise, he just nodded in satisfaction.

Letting out a long sigh out, he turned to Toothless and Shattermaster, saying "So. Any idea on how to pass the time?"

"I have an idea." A voice spoke up, making the three turn to see Astrid and the rest of the gang walk into view.

"Oh! Hey gu-" He stammered, only to be cut off by Fishlegs.

"Where. Is. Hiccup?!" He demanded, holding up the two broken pieces of Hiccup's prosthetic.

Dagur gulped, knowing he was in trouble.

* * *

Matt continued to sit on the edge of the cliff, staring into the waves below. Teton was fast asleep next to him, with his head resting on Matt's bum leg. Softly scratching his friend's head, Matt ignored the weight on his leg. It had to have been an hour since he left Dagur, and he couldn't even try to get back to look after him. Was Dagur that legitimately care about Heather? Was he concerned with her safety and well-being?

"And I thought my world was rocked when I first came here." He muttered to himself, shaking his head as he remembered the first time he saw Berk. What was he supposed to think? How was he supposed to think? A whole world from inside a cave? A real-life sun; an ocean; even the smoothest, powdered snow he's ever boarded on.

Shaking his head, he compared it to the possibility that Dagur had changed. The one that did horrible things to not only him, but Hiccup and the others. Including the big person affected by him, Heather. Sent away as an orphan, she was then continued to be tortured by his cruelty as he ended up wasting her adoptive village, and becoming alone again. He tried to turn her into a pillaging raider. He ran a sword through her shoulder without a second thought, leaving her pinned to the deck of his sinking ship.

Shaking his head, he tossed a rock over the edge and watched it splash into the water below. "How's Heather going to react when she learns that he's looking for her?" He whispered to himself "Better yet, how's she going to react when she learns I've been keeping this a secret. Looking over Teton, he silently cursed at himself. In his anger and confusion, he forgot to pull off his saddle from Wasatch. And he hated riding bareback on a dragon.

"Matt? Matt?!" A voice called out, waking Teton up from his third nap that day.

"Snotlout? Over here!" He shouted, standing up and activating his brace.

"Come quick! You're not going to believe who's here!" He shouted as Barf and Belch flew into view. "Take a guess!" He added, hovering Hookfang over the cliff that Matt and Teton were relaxing at.

Matt's heart began racing, easily getting the message that they found Dagur. "Heather and Ukiah?"

"No! It was Dagur! Come on!" Snotlout shouted "I think Hiccup was explaining why he was here!"

"Can't wait." Matt whispered, climbing on Teton. Gripping a spike in front of him, he then felt the massive Skrill launch into the air. Guiding him towards the Edge, he ignored Snotlout's cries as Teton left Hookfang behind.

It wasn't too long before the Edge came into view. Letting Teton bank hard around the hanger, he was surprised to see Dagur talking to Fishlegs below in the little arena, with Shattermaster and Meatlug standing nearby.

"Matt! In here!" Hiccup's voice shouted, catching both his and Teton's attention. There in the hanger that he just flew past, was both Astrid and Hiccup standing at a table that had the layout of the shipyard. Teton instantly braked, almost throwing Matt off.

"Gah! Thanks bud!" Matt groaned, recovering from the whiplash. Letting Teton handle the landing, he slowly dismounted from him.

"Forgot your saddle?" Hiccup asked, smiling at him.

"Yeah, but would you mind telling me what just happened?" He groaned, pointing down to where Dagur and Fishlegs were "I thought you were keeping him a secret!"

"Wait, Matt knew about him?!" Astrid asked in shock and anger.

"I…I had to tell him." Hiccup replied sheepishly "But, yeah. Matt knew."

"So are you going to tell me what happened?!" Matt demanded, getting the conversation back on track.

"We captured Dagur when you left him alone with Toothless and his dragon, Shattermaster." Astrid huffed, glaring at Hiccup "We thought he captured or killed Hiccup, since he broke his fake leg."

Matt just stared at Hiccup, waiting to be told more.

"Come to find out that he saved Hiccup, you can imagine how surprised we were." Astrid continued to say, finally looking at Matt "And now Fishlegs is teaching him how to ride."

"Why did you leave him? I thought you were getting Teton and going to back to him." Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I had to think." Matt excused "We had a conversation that, well, rocked me a little bit."

"Well, now that you're here, let's review the plan for the shipyard." Hiccup began to say, turning back to the table.

"Can we please talk about the Rumblehorn in the room?!" Astrid growled, glaring at Hiccup "Stop trying to change the subject! The fact that Dagur is here, at Dragon's Edge, isn't bugging you one bit?!"

"I know, I know." Hiccup groaned, looking away from her angry glare "But he seems like he's really trying to change." Gesturing to Matt, he asked "Haven't you seen it?"

Matt reluctantly nodded, but excused "He does, but doesn't mean I still trust him. I'm betraying Heather just for keeping it a secret from her!"

"Besides, you don't think it's strange he shows up here right as we're about to hit Viggo's shipyard?" Astrid pressed, frowning at the thought that he was spying on them.

"You guys weren't there." Hiccup answered, glancing between the two "He could've turned us over to Viggo's men, but…h-he helped us escape."

"Does that excuse everything he did to us before?" Matt challenged "Heather's made it clear that it isn't about if he's trying to change, it's about what he did to her and those she cares about." Gesturing to Astrid, he then said "Imagine if he killed Astrid, or your dad! That's what Heather went through! Twice! I don't think she'll ever be the same if she loses someone else without healing first!"

"Look, I'm not blind to the risks or what he's done to us." Hiccup replied, turning to lean against the table with their strategy laid out on it "

Astrid also turned to lean against it with him, looking at him with concern. Matt just folded his arms and stood there, waiting to hear Hiccup out.

"It's just…" Hiccup whispered, unable to finish his words.

"What?" Astrid asked quietly.

"When the chips were down and I thought for sure the Hunters had me, Toothless let Dagur ride him to save me." Looking up at her with resolve, he explained "If Toothless trusts him, then I have to trust him too."

Matt shook his head at the reason. For Hiccup, it was perfect logical sense. But to him, it wasn't anything but hopeful thinking.

Sighing, Astrid also stared at the floor. "Well, I hope you and Toothless are right. For all our sakes." She said aloud, shaking her head that she was actually conceding to the idea of trusting Dagur.

"Forgive me if I take a little bit longer to convince." Matt huffed, shaking his head as well "I'll support you, but I'm not liking it one bit."

"I know. I'm not going to tell you to trust him." Hiccup agreed "Just stay open to him. As much as you can."

"I'll try, but no promises." Matt huffed, turning to walk out. Stopping at the doorway, he turned to them and said "Whatever happens though, I'm on Heather's side. Got it?"

Hiccup just nodded, knowing that Matt was still taking it hard on himself that Dagur was here. Watching him walk away, he shook his head in disbelief. Everything seemed to be so messed up, even with the past successful raids on Viggo.

"Come on, let's go check on Fishlegs." Astrid whispered, grabbing a blanket and draping it over their strategy table "It'll help clear both our heads. But first, let's make sure Dagur doesn't see this."

"Thanks, Astrid. I don't know how I'd be if I didn't have you." Hiccup replied sheepishly.

Smiling, she grabbed his arm and guided him out, leaving the room empty and dark.

* * *

Matt stared as Tuffnut and Ruffnut continued to talk to Dagur, with Fishlegs and Snotlout sitting around and listening. The clubhouse was full with the Riders sitting around a table and having dinner. Watching them burst out laughing at some joke Tuffnut told, he just groaned to himself. Standing up from his seat, he walked over to where Hiccup and Astrid were having a conversation.

"So, when are you going to tell Dagur about Heather?" Astrid whispered, not seeing Matt walk up behind them.

"How can I? You saw her reaction last night. She's clearly not ready to see him yet." He replied, his eyes not turning away from watching Dagur.

"Do you honestly think she'll ever be ready to see him?" Matt asked gruffly, watching them turn to face him in surprise. "I mean, without her wanting to cut him in half and burn his remains?" He added, folding his arms.

"That's why we need to get him off the edge." Astrid reminded, looking concerned at Hiccup "She's going to be back any time!"

"I know! Why do you think I was trying to teach him how to fly?" Hiccup asked, looking at her and Matt worriedly "I'm trying to get him out of here as soon as possible. I figured she wouldn't be back until late tonight or early morning."

"Get who out of here?" A voice called out, making the three's blood freeze instantly. It was Heather's voice.

"We raced back here." Ukiah replied, smiling as the three turned to face them "Got some news about the shipyard."

Before anyone could respond, Heather's eyes went wide with shock, seeing Dagur sitting at the table. Then letting them immediately narrow, she shouted "You!"

"Sister?!" Dagur cried out, turning around to see Heather standing there. Smiling happily, he stood up and shouted "Heather!"

"Aaarrgggh!" She roared, drawing her axe and charging him.

"Heather! Stop!" Hiccup shouted with wide eyes, sure that a killing was about to happen.

Dagur's smile quickly disappeared as he saw her raise the axe over her head. In one smooth motion, she brought it down as hard as she could, only to stop just inches from his face. Wincing at how close the blade was, he just stared at her with a surprisingly calm demeanor.

Heather could only stare at him with an intense anger. It was everything in her body to not bring the axe down and finish the job. Breathing heavily, she just stared at him with a wild and ferocious look.

"I guess a hug is out of the question?" He asked, smiling sheepishly.

That was it. Drawing her axe back, she then swung her fist right into his face. The force alone launched him backwards onto his back.

"Heather!" Matt shouted, running and grabbing her. Holding her back from jumping on the dazed Dagur who was being helped up by Hiccup, he cried "Hold on! Just calm down for a second!"

"Why did I stop?! Why did I not kill you?!" She shouted, fighting Matt and trying to get at him.

"Heather!" Matt shouted, losing his grip on her. In one heft, he pulled her off her feet and back to the doorway of the clubhouse next to a surprised Ukiah.

"What are you doing, Matt?!" She roared, turning to stare him down "He tried to kill you! He tried to kill me!"

"Heather! Please! Calm down and I'll explain everything!" Hiccup shouted, standing in-between her and Dagur.

Feeling Heather slowly simmer down, Matt let go of her, to which she quickly accused "How long has he been here? Is this why you sent me and Ukiah away?!"

Before Hiccup could respond, Dagur then roared "Hiccup Haddock! Are you saying that you were keeping me away from my Heather?! I was worried that she wasn't even alive!"

"Oh, sure you were!" She shouted, her green eyes narrowing. Turning to Hiccup, she demanded "So tell me, why were you keeping my mortal enemy away from me?! Why were you protecting him?!"

Tuffnut then laughed, making them all turn to him "Hahaha, yeah. And we were teaching him how to ride a dragon too!"

"Tuff!" Hiccup shouted, only to be interrupted by Heather's rage.

"What?!" She cried out "Have you lost your mind, Hiccup?! I never questioned your plans or thoughts, but this I cannot ignore!"

"He saved my life, Heather." He tried to explain, only to be interrupted again.

"I don't care! He can't be trusted!" She roared, turning to glare at Dagur.

"To be fair, that was my first thought too." Astrid began to say, walking up to her.

"He set me adrift as a child!" she shouted, glaring at Astrid and making her jump back in surprise. Facing Dagur again, she then marched past Hiccup as she continued to shout "He killed our father for Thor's sake! Not to mention he's tried to kill each of us multiple times! Am I the only one that remembers that?!"

"Listen, I don't know what I can do show you I'm trying to change." Dagur began to say, looking at Heather with sadness "It's something I can't prove without you trusting me and taking my word for it."

Nobody said anything. Some looking away from his gaze. Heather just glared at him, not backing down from him.

Seeing the hesitancy and silence, Dagur just nodded as he said "Yeah, I wouldn't take it either if I were you." Turning to walk out, he then said "Thank you all for the hospitality, but I think it's time for Shattermaster and I to leave. Good-day." At that, he disappeared from their view, walking to the dragon hanger.

"Oh come on, Dagur. Dagur!" Hiccup called out.

"I said good day." He sobbed, his voice sounding farther away.

"I better check on him before he goes." Hiccup said, jogging after him.

Heather let a long, frustrated sigh out. Seeing Dagur had turned her otherwise calm mind into a frenzy, a thought hit her. Turning to Matt, she then whispered coldly "Did you know about this? Were you in on Hiccup's secret? Is that why you sent Ukiah with me instead?"

Pursing his lips, Matt just stared at her with sorrowful eyes. Closing his eyes, he wished he could in fact die for what he was about to do. Very shallowly, he barely nodded, not even able to open his eyes to look at her.

Heather recoiled back in shock. Staring at him she just stared at him in confusion. "You…you lied to me? You knew about this?"

"I…it wasn- I didn-" Matt choked out, unable to even form a sentence.

Heather didn't hear him. Turning around, she stumbled out the door, fighting back tears that were forming in her eyes.

"Heather!" Matt shouted, going to run after her.

"Leave me alone! I just want to be alone!" She shouted, sounding like she was crying "I hate you! You betrayed me!"

Stopping, her words shattered his heart. She was seeking the very thing that plagued her the most in her life. Being alone. Shaking his head, he looked down in despair. Feeling Astrid rest her hand on his shoulder, he could only shake his head in despair.

"What the Helheim just happened?" Ukiah asked, looking at everyone "Can someone tell me who that was, and why Heather blew up on him?"

Matt looked up at Ukiah with tearing eyes as he whispered "I screwed up. I screwed up so bad that I think I ruined her."

* * *

 ** _Hey there! This will be the last post I put up until after Finals are over for me. Gotta focus on that for now._**

 ** _Hope you like the little cliff hanger and ending for the chapter. Keep you guys on the edge of your seats! Hope it was a good and fun chapter as well! Any who, good luck to those that also have finals! If not, have a great week!_**


	15. Chapter 15: Ukiah Tells His Tale

**Chapter Fifteen: Ukiah Tells His Tale**

* * *

Heather guided Windshear down to a pond in the middle of the forest, something that she and Matt found while patrolling the interior of Dragon's Edge. Leaving her hood up, she slowly slid off her saddle and pulled off the bedroll she took from the hanger. She couldn't get herself to even look at Matt's room. Never before had she felt so betrayed, so hurt. Of all people too, it was Matt that held back information from her.

Staring into the pond, she watched the stars dance in the reflection of the water. Slowly, she made eye contact with her own reflection, making her pulse quicken. She didn't even know what to think. Her friends housed and trained a person that was single handedly responsible for all the atrocities that happened in her life. Why would they do that? Why would they send her away to be with Dagur?

Looking at herself, she let out a sob and turned away. Maybe it was her destiny to be alone and by herself. If this wasn't a sign, then she didn't think she'd ever see one in her life.

Windshear let out a soft growl, lightly bumping her rider. Looking at her with inquisitive eyes, she seemed to ask if Heather was alright without using words.

Sniffing, she wiped her eyes as she laid the bedroll on near the shoreline. "I…I just need to clear my head." She whispered to Windshear "I'm sorry." Her mind couldn't help but wander to thoughts of Matt as she continued to spread her bedroll out. If he was there, he'd either be arguing with her, or pushing her away to set up her bed for her; or both.

Her lip quivered as she quickly shut the fantasy away. He betrayed her. All her trust, all her care that she had in him was gone. How could he do that to her? After all they've been through together, all that she did for him! It was nothing. Angrily, she then drew her axe and walked over to a fallen log and swung mightily at it. The stroke was strong, and with the sharpened axe head, buried itself deep into the wood. Grunting to pull it out, she let her anger fuel her strength. Swinging it down again, she couldn't help but shout to vent the frustration inside of her. The fact that Dagur was so close, and she had a free shot that she didn't take, was more than she could comprehend. What came over her to stop? She had no idea.

Ripping the axe out again, she continued to thrash the log, not really trying to make clean cuts. Strike after strike, she just glared at the log until finally, she cut through it. One end rolled away from her, while the other slid towards her and landed on her foot.

"Gagh!" She cried, pulling her boot back just a fraction of a second too late. Feeling her foot start to throb, she huffed out hot air to vent the annoyance of smashing her foot. Shouldering her axe, she grabbed the smaller cut piece and began to cut it into kindling. Though she knew she'd have to sharpen her axe again, since it wasn't a woodcutting axe, she didn't care at the moment. She was angry, and needed to take it out on something.

Gathering her pile of splintered wood, she set it down next to her bed roll. Stacking the sticks together so they'd catch fire easily, she turned to Windshear who was still watching her with a concerned look. "Uh…sorry girl." She whispered, seeing her concerned face "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Just…trying to understand what's going on."

Windshear growled with worry, moving around so that she was lying next to Heather's bedroll and fire. Lying in a semi-circle around her, she just continued to watch her rider with a compassionate expression.

Smiling at Windshear's thoughtfulness, Heather took a seat on the bedroll and leaned against Windshear. "Want to light it for me?" She asked, looking at her with a smile.

Windshear smiled as fired a small, light blue flame, torching the stacked wood with ease.

Feeling the heat begin to emit, as well as the light dancing on the trees around her, she let her mind wander to when she and Windshear were on their own, fighting Dagur with hit-and-run tactics, raiding unsuspecting trading ships, helping ravaged villages. It was an experience; that was for sure.

Sighing, she shook her head in sadness, recalling the reason why she stopped doing her own thing. Mainly to not be alone, she sided with Dagur and helped him with his plans. She then was forced to stay with Hiccup as she knew she had no trust with any of the Dragon Riders, especially Matt. The thought of Matt not trusting her made her scoff in disgust. Did he forget that too? That she earned and fought to get that? Did he really think that he was exempt from maintaining her trust in him?

Watching the fire continue to burn, slowly changing the structure of the stacked wood, she lightly pushed one stick deeper into the fire with her axe. Satisfied with how it was burning, she looked up at the night sky. The moon was just starting to appear, again creating its eerie white glow.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" She whispered to Windshear, who was also gazing at the stars "Kind of miss it, huh?"

Windshear growled in acknowledgement, letting the fire dance in her green eyes. Looking at Heather, she then wrapped her tail around her and pulled her closer. Growling softly, she nuzzled her gently.

"Heh, I love you too." Heather laughed quietly, gently stroking her dragon's head. Looking back at the fire, she leaned against Windshear and continued to let her mind drift into thoughts of what happened.

* * *

Matt walked expressionlessly down a ramp, being his sixth lap around Dragon's Edge. Ever since Heather left, with no clue as to where she went, he could only pass the time by walking around. He didn't even know where Dagur went, not that he cared any more. How could he have been so stupid in keeping Heather in the dark? He didn't just screw up, he blew all the work and experiences he went through in the past year.

"I'm such a joke…" He whispered to himself, shaking his head "What the hell was I thinking? What the hell did I do?"

Walking by the strategy room, he was about to walk by without looking inside when he heard "Let me guess, coordinated attack, using the sea stacks for cover, but staying just outside of arrow range?"

Matt's head whirled to see Hiccup and Dagur talking over the laid out plans and model ships. "Hiccup?!" He cried out, running to them.

"Matt? I thought you were looking for Heathe-" Hiccup cried out, only to be cut off.

"Shut up and please explain why you're telling him about our mission?!" Matt growled, drawing his hatchet.

"Relax, Haddock number two." Dagur replied in an uncaring tone, pushing Matt's hatchet back into its sheath "I was just telling Hiccup how gullible he is. I already figured out how you guys are going to attack. You never told Hiccup how easy he is to manipulate did you?"

"I never said that was the way we were going to attack." Hiccup defended, only to look away from Dagur's stare "Ok, maybe something similar though."

Matt just stared at Dagur, and then to Hiccup. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Hiccup! I have news about the shipyard! Ukiah says tha- What the?!" Astrid's voice called out, only to stop.

All three people turned to see Astrid bolt into the room with a drawn dagger, resting it against Dagur's throat. "You are a spy!"

"Jeez Hiccup, you need to tell everyone to chill here." Dagur grunted, again carelessly pushing the blade away from him. Looking at Astrid, he then said "Let me guess this new information. Your recon mission came back saying that more ships were stationed at the shipyard?"

Shocked, Astrid reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, from eight to twelve." Shaking her head angrily, she then growled "That just proves you're a spy!"

"No, it proves how predictable you are. Because I fought you for a few years, remember? Eight ships wasn't enough to draw you in, so they upped the spoils." Dagur countered, glaring at her. Turning to Hiccup, he pointed to the table with the strategy laid out "I'm telling you Hiccup, this is a trap. I'm also going to guess that someone important is in charge of it. Maybe Ryker or Viggo himself. Someone with enough rank that it's making you guys think it's an opportunity."

Matt's eyes narrowed. Turning to Hiccup, he growled "He can't leave now. He's seen our mission."

"I know." Hiccup growled, angry that Dagur named every single key point of the mission.

"Fine, lock me up." Dagur replied, casually walking in-between the two Haddocks "Carry out your mission. But if anything happens to Heather, I'll personally make you pay." Turning and glaring at them, he hissed "She may hate me, but I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I won't forget that you let her get hurt, or worse. And you Hiccup, you know better than anyone that I never forget."

"I've had enough of this!" Astrid growled, grabbing Dagur and marching him to the hanger "I'll lock him in the same stall as Shattermaster."

"At least until we know what to do with him." Hiccup growled, watching her march him away.

Matt shook his head in frustration, staring at the modeled strategy table. So much was going through his head that he let out a loud moan. Closing his eyes, he simply leaned against the table.

"I'm guessing you haven't found Heather, huh?" Hiccup began to say, turning to Matt with a concerned look.

"Hiccup, she wants to be alone. If I try and find her, she's just going to explode again." He whispered, folding his arms and opening his eyes again "The only thing I can really do is wait and then ask for forgiveness."

"I'll tell her that you were doing what I asked you. Maybe that'll take some of the heat off of you." Hiccup replied hopefully.

"Hiccup, I made the decision to not tell her. Regardless of whose fault it is, I kept her in the dark." Matt growled, shaking his head at himself "I screwed up. Not you, not Astrid, but me, myself, and I."

"I'm sorry Matt. You even warned me about not telling anyone about Dagur." He whispered, back, leaning on the table with him.

"No, not telling what Dagur did for you wasn't the problem." Matt growled "It was when we were trying to keep him hidden while he was here. That's where I messed up with Heather."

Hiccup didn't say anything but kept on staring at the floor boards.

Frowning, Matt looked down as he let his mind drift back to Heather. Who knew what she was doing. Let alone where she was. Letting out and angry growl, he then resolved to try and make at least one thing right.

"Where are you going?" Hiccup asked, watching him leave.

"I need to find her. My mind's a mess right now." Matt replied "Dagur figured out our mission, we don't know if he is a spy, and Heather hates my guts; not that I really blame her." Turning to face Hiccup, he replied "I need to talk to her. To try and apologize to her. If I can't fix this, I want to be able to know if I can be without her."

Hiccup felt sick for Matt. Seeing him not only broken hearted, his spirit was shattered as well. He couldn't even crack a joke if he wanted too. Shaking his head as he watched Matt walk towards his room to get one of his dragons, he whispered "That does it. No more secrets, Matt. I promise. I'm…I'm sorry."

* * *

"Thanks girl." Heather replied with a smile, seeing Windshear slice the log into a couple of smaller rounds. Grabbing the cut pieces, she then dumped them into the fire to keep it alive. Matt was right about one thing, it was turning into fall. The air had a cool breeze from the north, and the air wasn't all that warm either.

Windshear growled in acknowledgement, happy to see her rider be able to naturally smile. Resuming her position of lying next to Heather, she let her head down on her front claw.

Heather stared at the fire, slowly letting her eyes drift towards the pond. Clouds had begun to move in, covering the stars and moon. Shaking her head, she held herself tight to help warm herself up, given that the fire still hadn't grown large enough yet to keep her warm.

Staring at the water, she slowly thought she saw a silhouette slowly emerge from it, staring at her from the surface. Unsure of what she was seeing, she slowly drew her axe and held still. The fire then shifted, some of the wood collapsing and allowing it to burn brighter. There she noticed something in the water. It looked familiar face with sharp green eyes staring at her.

"Arrow?" She called out, confused at seeing him in the water.

Arrow growled happily, climbing out of the water. Dropping three fish from his mouth next to the fire, he then gently rammed his head into Heather's chest, dripping sand and water all over her.

"Agh! Arrow!" She cried out, laughing at the friendly dragon "You're making a mess!"

"Arrow! Back off!" A voice shouted, making her and Windshear turn to see Ukiah walk out of the darkness and into the fire's light. Behind him was Sleuther, who was looking at the gathering curiously.

Shocked at seeing Ukiah, Heather quickly asked "What are you doing here, Ukiah? How did you find me?"

"Heh, well aside from seeing your fire from the other side of the Edge, Arrow was the one that tracked you. Figured he missed you." Ukiah explained, standing over her. Gesturing to the bed roll, he asked "Mind if I take a seat?"

Heather shook her head, saying "No, I guess not." Shifting over so that he had room, she watched him promptly sit down and tried to get himself comfortable. Windshear simply eyed him, unsure of what to think of their sudden visitors.

Sitting cross-legged at the fire, he then said "You know, if you wanted to keep yourself hidden, a smaller fire made of twigs and smaller branches is better. The fire can't get big enough to let out smoke and it's easy to put out if you're being followed. Leaves less remains for others to track and follow you. Good location though. If you're next to a body of water, you can push the fire into it. It throws off most signs of a fire and instantly puts it out."

"I guess you've had a lot of practice with that, huh?" She replied, letting a frown grow on her face as she watched the fire eat away at the logs.

"Unfortunately, yeah. I did." Ukiah admitted, his face growing solemn.

The two didn't say anything for bit after. They just watched the fire burn away, while their dragons tried to stay up with them. Windshear never moved from her spot, keeping Heather safe and warm. Sleuther took his bed next to the stream that led to the pond, lazily watching the fish swim in the current. Arrow however, laid his head down on Heather's feet, given that he loved being with her and wasn't passing up on this rare opportunity to sleep next to her.

"He's hopeless when you're around." Ukiah commented, seeing Arrow lightly nibble on her boot "He's never been this obsessed with someone. Even me."

Heather let a small smile grow on her face as she let the Sand Wraith playfully gnaw on the boot. "He's a friendly dragon, an incredible one too, that's for sure."

Ukiah just nodded, watching Arrow growl happily.

"So I guess my next question is why did you find me?" Heather asked, not taking her eyes off Arrow "I left to be alone for a reason."

Ukiah sighed, looking up at the cloud filled sky. The moon was peaking in and out of view as the clouds continued to roll on by. "I guess I have two reasons. One, to tell you we're raiding the shipyard tomorrow."

"Oh? Because Dagur was here spying on us?" She growled, her pulse quickening as she thought of Dagur again.

"I think so. He discovered our mission and we locked him up." He explained "I guess that's the main motivator for doing it tomorrow. That, and I told them that our recon mission discovered that they added four more ships to the fleet. Hiccup decided now is the time to strike, while we still have the upper hand and we can destroy most of the ships if we can't get them all."

Heather just nodded, still feeling her anger flow through her body.

"And the second reason, is to see how you're doing." He added, watching her carefully "I'll be honest, Heather. The only person I've seen angrier than you, was Strogg, when he pulled out one of my bolts from his arm in our duel a couple years back."

"I don't want to talk about it. Not now at least." Heather growled, not turning to look at him. Glaring at the fire, she whispered angrily "I was betrayed. Betrayed not only by Hiccup and the others, the ones that said they wanted me to stay with them; but also Matt. He purposely sent us away to keep us in the dark. The very thing Hiccup did when he refused to tell us about you and Strogg."

"True." Ukiah agreed, looking at the fire methodically "But do you think Matt or Hiccup had bad intentions keeping it a secret?"

"It's not the intentions that I'm angry at! It's the fact that they tried to keep it a secret from me to begin with!" She barked in frustration "Not only that, but they were teaching Dagur to ride a dragon! Him! The man who is the cause of so much of my pain, and they were helping him!" Gesturing to Ukiah, she asked "Would you be calm if you found out Hiccup was helping Strogg? Or if he kept the location of Crev a secret from you? 'Cause at this point, it wouldn't surprise me if he was!" At that she swung her axe down and stuck it in the bank of the pond. "Who knows, maybe Matt's in on his little secret too, if he has another."

Ukiah looked at her with concern. She was, by every right, hurt and angry. A feeling that he remembered too well. "Listen, I know you don't want to talk about it, but if we do, it might help you calm down. At least help you clear your mind."

Heather just glared at the pond, her grip tightening on her axe.

Seeing that she wasn't going to make eye contact, he then explained "You know, I don't think I ever told you my story. You and Mat-"

Heather's eyes lit up with the fire burning brightly in them. Glaring at him, she silently dared him to say Matt's name.

"Uh, I mean, you told me about yourself a couple days ago." Ukiah quickly corrected, seeing that Matt was still a sensitive subject for her. Looking her in the eyes, he quietly extinguished the anger inside. "But I haven't told you anything about myself."

Sighing, Heather turned to see that Arrow had fallen asleep on her leg. "I guess that's true. Don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't really think about your past. It wasn't really a concern. I could only think about giving you a home."

Smiling, Ukiah shrugged, saying "I'm trying to leave my past for a reason. That's originally why I never told you about it."

"Well, if you're sure you want to. If anything I'd like to hear about how you came to be a hunter and warrior." Heather replied with a small smile.

"I'll be more than happy to. Just…just know this though." Ukiah began to say, his face growing somber "The reason I want to tell you about myself, is so that you don't make the same mistakes I made."

Heather just stared at him, realizing that he was still talking about what happened. Frowning, she huffed as she returned her attention to the pond. "Fine. But only because I want to know more about you. Not to be lectured on my feelings."

"Take it as you will then." He replied, shifting around to make himself more comfortable "Now, where do I begin? Heh, how do I begin?"

"How about your earliest memory?" Heather suggested "After all, I told you mine."

"Sounds fair enough." Ukiah acknowledged, leaning back against Windshear "So, like you, I was orphaned when I was a baby. Didn't even get to know my parents. Even my tribe."

Heather just watched Ukiah, his face emotionless as he thought about his past.

"Funny thing is, like you, Hiccup's dad was part of my childhood. He was part of Strogg's raiding party when he destroyed my tribe."

Heather gasped at the revelation, not believing that Stoick was part of something that…bloody.

"However, I can't be mad at him." Ukiah continued to say "He took me to Berk when Astrid pulled me out of Strogg's arena. And he also saved me a lot earlier in my life too. Because of him, I survived the massacre that claimed my tribe. He took me and my guardian to a land called Thariin, where I was raised. And by raised, I mean survived. My guardian, Jessika only taught me the basics of survival, and my tribe's war paint. Nothing else. I was so young that I didn't even think about who my parents were." Sighing, he stared into the fire as he thought about his life in Thariin "When I was…eight or nine, she disappeared. You see, though we lived in Thariin, so did Strogg. And his commitment to end all the Crev was still fresh in his mind. I'm sure he's the reason why Jessika disappeared, though I don't really have proof."

Heather could only stare at Ukiah. He was alone for most of his life than her! At least she had an adoptive family until her late teenage years.

"How I survived, I don't really know. I just did what I was taught." He replied, shaking his head at the thought of him being on his own "After getting by for a couple of months living on potatoes, roots, and berries, I decided that I wanted to get some meat. So I took the crossbow Jessika left behind and went out to get myself a deer." Laughing, he smiled at the thought "I had no idea what to do, or how to do it. I never got the deer I set out for. I got a little squirrel instead, as that was all I could find. Took it to my home, being a cave, and tried to clean it. I didn't get a single scrap of meat from it, and it took me hours to figure out how to reload the crossbow. But that day was the most crucial day of my life. I learned that I could do it. I knew I could do more than just survive. So, every day I went out and hunted. Taught myself everything I know. Some days I came home with plenty to eat, others I fell asleep hungry. However, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't practice shooting my crossbow."

Heather shook her head as he swung his new crossbow around and set it on his lap. In one smooth motion, he unloaded the crossbow and released the mechanism.

Staring at the contraption Hiccup built him, he smiled as he playfully tossed the bolt up in the air and caught it. "Been my weapon of choice ever since. Besides that, I learned how to track animals, how to camouflage myself, what types of plants that were edible, how to use my surroundings to my advantage, and even took up a little bit of leather working." Grabbing a something out of his pouch, he handed her a leather bracelet, made of two small strands that were weaved into each other. One strand was dyed black and the other red.

"It's beautiful." She commented, taking it and observing the craftsmanship.

"It's yours." He replied with a smile "I made everyone something. I figured a bracelet was best for you. I made Astrid another headband, Hiccup a small pouch for his saddle, the twins have belts each, Snotlout has a bandolier to carry extra containers of Nightmare gel, Fishlegs a pack specifically for the Dragon Book, and a sheath for Matt and his knife." Gesturing to her bracelet, he added "I coated the black strand in charcoal. The other…well, I'll tell you later with what I used to stain it red."

Looking at him in shock and seeing his sincerity, she slowly slipped it over her wrist and tightened it. "Thank you." She replied while looking over it.

"Glad you like it." He whispered, looking away from her "Anyways, six or seven years later and you get to the time I met Arrow. By this time, I made a little bit of a name for myself. At least in Thariin's market. I would go to the village every couple of months and sell my pelts and leather apparel. One of those times I was preparing to go on a trip, and I'll never forget this, I was watching a thunderstorm outside of my cave, only to be surprised to see a silhouette of a dragon land outside of it. Dragons weren't uncommon, but this one was." Looking down at Arrow, who was still sleeping soundly on Heather's leg, he smiled as he continued "He was the only one like him. Small, sleek, and deadly. I was so intrigued by him that I actually went out to hunt him."

Heather glanced between the two, surprised to hear that Ukiah had set out to kill Arrow.

"Well, believe it or not, a dragon can be tough to track if it flies away." He chuckled, reaching over and stroking Arrow's head "Lost track of him pretty quick and ended up giving up. I decided to spend the rest of the day on the beach. To relax and to work on some leather gear." His smile broadened as he laughed "Turns out I sat down right over where he buried himself. Can't tell you how scared I was when I saw him appear from under me!"

"I can imagine what it was like." She replied, smiling at his happiness in reminiscing.

"But instead of attacking me, he was more interested in my sack of spilled jerky. It didn't take me long to find an arrow stuck in his side, half the reason why I named him that. He was wounded to the point that he couldn't hunt or get his own food, hence why he was interested in my jerky." Shaking his head, he then replied "I still don't get what came over me, but I lost all ambition to kill him. I saw that he was weak and needed help. So, I did the stupidest thing I ever did, also being the best thing that ever happened to me. I pulled the arrow out of him and ended up mending the wound." Stroking Arrow's head again, he smiled "He never left my side since. Well, until he met you."

Heather watched Ukiah stare at his friend. He was smiling, re-living the experience of first bonding with his friend. It reminded her of when she bonded with Windshear. The thought of saving her and helping her heal. "I guess we have a lot more in common than we thought. Windshear and I met similarly. She was hurt and helped heal her."

"I know. You mentioned it when you were telling me a little bit about yourself." Ukiah replied, turning to look at her "I just didn't say anything."

Looking at him, she let a small smile grow on her face "Sorry to interrupt you, please, keep going."

"After I befriended Arrow, I made my trip to Thariin to sell my pelts and pick up supplies." He resumed his story, looking up at the half-covered moon "When I finally set up my stall, I had two strangers walk up to me. Both were visiting Thariin and were looking at as many stalls as they could. Turns out that it was Hiccup and Astrid."

Heather shifted her body, positioning herself to be able to see him better.

"After visiting with them, I was arrested that night for poaching on Strogg's land." He began to say with a coldness growing in his voice "You see, he became chief of the land, and implemented a 'justice' system where all criminals were assigned to the arena. Where they fight each other or dragons. Kind of like the dragon arena Hiccup and I were captured in. Except prisoners fought the dragons and each other as well. It was an execution for either one. If you survived, you were used for a later event."

"Sounds like Strogg. At least from what you've told me and the brief moment I fought him." Heather commented, not really believing his experience. Then with a sly smile, joked "Guess you have rough luck when it comes to arenas."

"You have no idea." He huffed, rolling his eyes at the comment. With a melancholy mood, he whispered "When I challenged Strogg to a duel over Hiccup and Astrid's fate, it was in Berk's arena. Almost died there."

Heather just looked at him, unsure of what to say or think. This was the story that she heard about, but never really learned what happened.

"I don't know how I'm alive. Or why I survived." He whispered, staring at the fire "But I had something strange happen to me while I was preparing for the fight."

"What happened?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Do you know anything about the Crev? And what we were?" He quickly quizzed, finally turning to look at her.

"Only that you're one of them. And the last one alive." She answered with a shrug "What does that have to with your story?"

Ukiah chuckled as he replied "It's only the entire reason of why I did what I did to Hiccup and Astrid." Staring at the still water in the pond, he quietly explained "I don't know much about the Crev, as you know I was a babe when they were destroyed. But with the short time I was with Jessika, I learned my tribe's war paint." At that, he reached and pulled out a charred stick from fire. Rolling it in the dirt, he then coated his hand with the black charcoal. Making sure he had a small layer on it, he wiped it down his face at a diagonal; high left to low right.

"I remember seeing you where that when we saved Astrid." Heather commented, watching him toss the stick back into the fire.

"I wish I knew the meaning of it, but then again I'm trying to forget everything about my tribe. After I was adopted into Berk; Gothi, Gobber, and Stoick told me more about myself. The Crev are able to receive dreams. Visions if you will. While I was preparing to fight Strogg, I received one. I saw my parents. I saw what happened to my tribe. I saw what happened to me. It was, humbling. But I learned more than that. I learned that they were killers. Murderers. Crevites have some kind of silent rage inside of us. I'm not sure if you saw it in me when I fought Strogg, but I had a calming rush over me. I lose emotion. I become a killer. Gothi told me it's called the Gift of the Crev, but I think of it as a curse."

"Is that what happened when you turned on Hiccup and Astrid?" She asked, staring at him intensely.

"Partly." He admitted, deciding to be honest with her "I was also angry with Hiccup, and as much as I'd like to blame it on my 'gift', I can't. I deliberately attacked Hiccup. While fighting him, I then lost control and that's why I hurt Astrid." Hesitating, he looked at Heather and whispered "Did you know how close we were? How much I loved her?"

"Close enough that it rivaled her's and Hiccup's current relationship." She answered, looking at him with a sorrowful expression.

"If I had to compare it to anything, it was more like how you and Matt are." He replied resolutely.

"Stop! I don't want to talk about hi-" She quickly growled, only to be cut off.

"Listen to me, Heather!" He barked, catching her off guard "This is what I'm trying to warn you about. You holding this grudge, being angry with him! You have every right to be, but that still doesn't make it right to ignore and hate him!"

Heather narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for him to finish his reasoning.

"I spent three long, lonely years away from those that I cared about, and they cared about me. Until I betrayed that." Ukiah pressed, not backing away from her icy glare "I too had every right to be angry with Hiccup and Astrid. Strogg was a sitting duck on his ship, and our dragons could have made quick work of him and his men, since he didn't really have anything to counter a Night Fury. But Hiccup didn't want to. He thought I was acting too rash. And frankly, I was." Grabbing her arm, he refused to let go as she tried to pull it away from him "Don't make the same mistake I did. Think of what you have, and what you and Matt have done together. Think of why you liked him! No, why you loved him!"

Heather turned away, glaring at the water below.

"If I could, I'd do anything to have what I had with Astrid." He continued to lecture "But I can't have that again. I'll never have it again!" Then, rather hesitantly, he quietly added "The only person I thought I could ever have that experience with, is you Heather."

Heather quickly whipped her head at him with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

Letting go of her arm, he quietly explained "You are an amazing person. You have no idea how much I wish that I could be with you." Glancing at her, he then added "But Matt has been more than a man that I could ever be for you. He never wanted to hurt you, nor will he even want to! Look, he made a mistake, one that made you feel betrayed. But from what you told me, you made a mistake too. One that almost cost him, Hiccup's, and Astrid's lives."

Heather then growled "But I gave up everything to be where I am! Matt knew how I felt about Dagur, and he still tried to keep it a secret!"

"Did he? Or was it Hiccup?" Ukiah challenged, unfazed by her anger "You know how much Hiccup tries to cover things. He's worse than Astrid when she gets hurt. For all we know, Hiccup may have asked Matt to keep it a secret. The reason why he sent me with you, was so that you'd have someone able to watch over you. But I'm wasting my breath and your time speculating why he did what he did. If we bring everything to one central reason for why Matt acts the way he does, it's because he loves and cares about you, and wants only the best for you."

Heather didn't want to, but her body refused to let her cover it up. Tears started to form in her eyes, being hit hard with the statement. Looking away from him, she couldn't even say anything.

"You know it's true. You don't hate him like you claimed you did." He accused, not backing away from trying to convince her. Looking away from her, he added "I'd love to be with you. I'd love to have what you and Matt have. But I know that even with this little bump in your relationship, you still love him. As I know he still loves you."

Unable to contain it, Heather broke down into tears. He was right. Ukiah was right. She did still love him, even if he betrayed her. Looking at Ukiah, who also had misting eyes, she whispered "Ukiah…I don't even kno-"

"Hey, you're the one that got me to stay here. To appreciate Hiccup and Astrid's friendship again." He answered "I just didn't want you to make the same mistake I did. It was the least I could do to repay you."

Without saying anything, Heather leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Ukiah. For someone the same age as us, you've got some words of wisdom."

Shocked at the kiss, he rested his hand on his cheek. Smiling at her, he then said "Guess it comes with the experiences of life."

"Thank you." She whispered, turning to stare at the dying fire "I don't know what to say to Matt. I know I hurt him when I stormed out and said I hated him."

"Just tell him you're sorry. And that you forgive him" He replied "He's beating himself up for keeping you in the dark, and something as simple as that would mean the world to him."

"Of course he is." She whispered, shaking her head as she imagined what he was thinking of himself. Sighing, she then said "I think I need a minute to think of what to say to him."

"Maybe I can help." Ukiah suggested "Two heads are better than one."

"The twins disprove that." She teased, letting a natural smile grow on her face.

"Guess that's true." He laughed, leaning back against Windshear.

"How about you tell me a little bit more about yourself. Like when you first arrived to Berk." Heather suggested "It'll give me a chance to calm down and think about what to say to Matt."

"Sure, I guess I can do that." He replied with a wide smile "Well, to start, how about I tell you when Astrid pulled me out of Strogg's arena. Kind of all starts from there."

The two sat there in the light of the dying fire. Starting his tale of how he was rescued, he smiled as Heather laughed at some of the experiences. If anything, she was a good friend, and one that he would value.

Little did they know, they were being watched. Even the seasoned hunter and warrior didn't see the two pairs of eyes watching them from the other side of pond, hidden in the darkness and branches of the trees. Matt shook his head as he heard Heather laugh from across the pond. He couldn't help but feel hurt, seeing her and Ukiah together. But then there was a satisfied feeling of seeing her smile and laugh. Turning away, he walked away from the sight. "Come on bud, let's leave them for tonight." He whispered, quietly walking the Skrill away.

Wasatch growled in confusion, glancing back at him and then at Heather.

"Come on. We'll talk to her tomorrow. Don't want to ruin her night any more than I already have." He whispered, not turning to look behind him. As he walked away, he couldn't help but think of the song that seemed more applicable than ever, to which he quietly sang the chorus to himself:

 _I really miss your hair in my face,  
and the way your innocence tastes,  
and I think you should know this:  
You deserve much better than me_

* * *

 ** _I'm back and done with school. For now at least. I'm hoping to get this story done, if not close to done before next semester. I hope this story is still enjoyable and has a couple of twists and small things that throw it off from being a generic story. Again, thanks for all the support! Shout out to TheWhisperingWarrior and fandomspotatoes for their support and PM's. They've both given me ideas and made suggestions of ways to improve on the story. That being said, I welcome all suggestions, though I still retain the right to decide if they're in the story or not. You know, since I'm writing it. Heh._**

 _ **Hope you all have a good day! I'll try to update as soon as possible after I take a little trip this weekend.**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	16. Chapter 16: Too Late to Apologize

**Chapter Sixteen: Apologies are Never Quick Enough**

* * *

"Hey, you guys don't think Dagur's telling the truth, do you?" Hiccup asked, saddling up one of the containers they were using as a Nightmare Gel bomb "I mean could he?"

"About what? It being a trap?" Heather grunted, hefting up a container onto Windshear and strapping it down "Of course he'd say that. He failed in spying on us and reporting to Viggo. He's trying to stop us from attacking his master."

"Yeah, but what if he's even partly right abou-"

"Hiccup! He's a liar and a spy!" She replied angrily, glaring at him "Don't let his innocent act throw you. You're lucky he didn't capture you when you were teaching him to ride a dragon. Or worse."

"Matt was watching out for me in the case it was trick. Besides, I wouldn't have done it if I truly felt in danger." He excused, knowing Heather was actually being gracious to him after keeping Dagur a secret from her.

She and Ukiah came back early in the morning, to which she apologized to Hiccup for snapping at him. She wanted to find Matt and also apologize to make it right with him too, but he was nowhere to be seen. Him, or Wasatch.

"Urgh, there ya go." Ukiah grunted, strapping another container to Toothless. Seeing the Night Fury smile at him, he laughed as he scratched his head "Gall, they were long years not seeing this happy face every day." Turning to Heather and Hiccup, he replied "Either way, if it's a trap or not; you got me, Arrow, and Sleuther ready to bail you guys out. Even then, you got Matt and the two Skrills. Honestly, those three could destroy the shipyard by themselves. It'd just take a lot longer."

"He's not invincible." Heather replied, turning to Windshear with a concerned face "Wasatch and Teton are quick, but they can't take any hits. The same goes for Matt."

"I don't know." Astrid replied with a smirk on her face. Strapping a barrel to Stormfly, she then joked "How many times has he been hit, maimed, or almost killed? And look at how he got up and walked away from them!"

"By walk away, you mean limping after recovering for a couple of weeks, if not months." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes. Turning to the others, he then said "No, we all do this together. No one's doing anything solo."

"Except if I see Darien. If I'm graced with the option of seeing her." Matt's voice called out, making everyone turn to see the snowboarder land Teton. Pulling off his goggles and letting them hang around his neck, he had a solemn look on his face, not having the happy go-lucky, charismatic aura around him. Wasatch also landed next to Teton, growling happily at seeing everyone and their dragons; being completely opposite from his rider.

"There you are, Matt." Hiccup called out, smiling as he watched him dismount from Teton "We were wondering where you went last night."

"I had to go think." He calmly replied, walking up to the twins and helping Ruffnut strap on her barrel to Barf "Kind of hard not to, considering what happened. Besides, had to saddle up Teton since I'm riding him on our raid today."

Heather felt a rush of anxiety, knowing he was still beating himself up. Sighing, she turned to Hiccup and asked "Hey, can I have a minute with Matt? Alone?"

Knowing exactly what she was trying to do, he nodded while saying "Everyone, up to the planning room. We're going to review the plan one more time and then head out!"

"Uh…maybe I should stay with Heather." Snotlout suggested "It's been an emotional night for her an- Ow! Ow! Let go!"

"Come on, Snotlout." Ukiah growled, grabbing him by his ear and walking up a ramp "You can annoy her on the way to the shipyard."

Matt just stood there, staring at Barf as everyone began to walk away. Feeling someone pat his shoulder, he turned to see Astrid flash a comforting smile at him. Watching her walk away, he waited for Heather to say what she wanted to.

Looking around and seeing they were the only ones, she whispered "Matt…"

"Heather." He replied cordially, still not looking at her.

"Listen, about last night. I-I'm sorry." She began to say, rubbing her arm and looking at the ground.

"You don't need to apologize, Heather." Matt quietly replied, grabbing the strap and making sure the container was secure "I wasn't honest with you. I betrayed you and became a hypocrite for lying. Something I plan on never doing again."

"Matt, it wasn't all you." She argued, slowly reaching up and grabbing his hand. Feeling him tense up, she gently let go. "I should have never said what I said. That I hated you and wanted to be alone."

Before Matt could say anything, she spluttered out "Listen, I was caught up in the moment! I forgot about everything you've done for me. If this was the first mistake you made with me, then I got it lucky. You've always cared about me, and it wasn't right for me to say what I said."

"Heather…" He whispered, finally turning to look at her in the eyes "Listen to me. I'm never going to dishonest with you ever again. Everything I do now, and in future, is to make sure you're happy."

"I know you will." She replied quietly, feeling the sting of guilt for being angry with him "As you've always tried to do with me."

"Which is why I want to stop it. Stop our relationship." He continued to say. Looking down at the ground, he whispered "I'm not the guy that deserves you."

Recoiling back in shock, she exclaimed "What? What are you talking about?! Of course you are!"

Sighing, Matt looked down from her gaze he simply whispered "No. I'm not." Shaking his head, he whispered "I think you just got too comfortable with me, that you never really knew what would be best for you."

"Matt! Listen to me!" She shouted, grabbing him and making him look at her in the eyes "I want to be with you! I love you! You've always cared about me! Even when I was stubborn and hard headed! Not once did you complain about how I acted! And I blew up at the first thing that you didn't do right! If anything, I don't deserve you!"

Matt just stared at her with saddened eyes. Lightly shaking his head, he whispered "I saw you last night. Near the pond with your fire. With Ukiah."

Heather's eyes lit up in shock. Letting go of Matt, she took a step back and gaped at him. Lost for words, all she could do was stare at him. She then recognized it. The look on his face. It wasn't just sadness or depression. It was being hurt; betrayed. She betrayed him!

"Listen, I'm not angry. Maybe a little bit hurt, but not angry." He began to explain "I saw how happy you were talking with Ukiah. You were laughing, and smiling. I don't know what you two were talking about, since I was one the other side of the pond, but that didn't matter. I saw him calm and comfort you. You thoroughly enjoyed being with him." Letting a hurt smile grow on his face, he then whispered "You two have so much in common, that it's almost a match made in heaven. You both care about others. You two will fight to stop bad guys from having their way. You'll give up everything to make someone else happy." Taking a step back, he whispered "That's what I'm trying to do, Heather. Make you happy. So please, for both our sakes, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Matt!" She shouted, shaking her head in disbelief "Matt, it's not what it looks like! Yes, he calmed me down, but he was the one that made me realize all the good in you! All that I ignored! I promise Matt, there's nothing between us!"

"Heather, listen." Matt calmly argued, wiping a tear from his eye. Pulling up his goggles to hide the future tears coming, he then said "Trust me when I say you'll be happier with him. I saw it last night."

"No, I won't be!" She shouted angrily, if not out of desperation "Matt! I know what I want! And tha-"

"Dagur's escaped!" Hiccup shouted, interrupting her. Behind him was the rest of the gang, running after him.

Matt quickly turned away from her, ending the argument once and for all. Leaving her there staring at him, he then asked with a masked voice "When?! How?!"

"Shattermaster broke him out." Hiccup answered, running to Toothless. Making sure everything was secure, he then shouted "Wings up, gang! We have to hit that shipyard before Dagur has a chance to give away our plan."

"I'm ready to go!" Matt shouted, running and jumping on Teton. Bucking himself into the bindings, he glanced up at Heather. Seeing her crushed expression, he simply shook his head and launched into the air, flying alongside Hiccup.

"Are you okay, Heather?" Ukiah asked, walking Arrow up to her and seeing her distraught face.

"I messed up, Ukiah." She whispered weakly, feeling sick to her stomach "I messed up big time."

"Tell me on the way." He suggested, looking up at the rest of the riders already leaving "Right now, we do need to get going."

Shaking her head, Heather then jogged to Windshear. Climbing on, she whispered "Come on girl, maybe we can think of a way to make it right with him somehow."

* * *

"Anyone see Dagur? Maybe we beat him here." Hiccup called out, scanning the fog filled shoreline of the island.

"With his head start?" Matt called out "Unlikely."

"There! Up ahead!" Astrid shouted, pointing ahead.

Sure enough, far enough to be just a small speck, was Dagur on Shattermaster.

Heather's anger resurfaced, seeing him heading towards the ships. The saddened feeling she was carrying with her the entire trip was set aside as she saw the one responsible for putting her in a position to lose Matt's relationship. "I got it." She shouted, narrowing her eyes as she began to surge forward "After him, Windshear!"

"Heather! Wait!" Hiccup shouted, trying to stop her. Too late, she was gone. "Gah!" He shouted angrily "Come on, let's go get into position!"

Heather focused on Dagur, seeing him start to weave in between two rock pillars. Aiming, she then growled "This is your last betrayal, Dagur!" Almost immediately, she let Windshear fire two blasts. The light blue fire bolts would've nailed him if he hadn't weaved to the right and then to the left, completing a roll as he did so.

Shocked at the agility of the Gronckle, she narrowed her eyes and continued to give chase. Seeing that he was flying up, she lined up Windshear for another shot. Focusing entirely on him, she never noticed that he was flying directly into the sun, right until she was blinded. "Gagh!" She shouted, covering her eyes and turning away. Angry that she lost him, she kept on trying to scan the sky with her eyes still adjusting.

"I'm right here, sis." Dagur called out, making both her and Windshear whirl around to stare at him.

"Wha?!" She cried out, shocked to see him there.

Saying nothing else, he dove back down to the rock pillars below.

"Rgh! You can't lose me that easily!" She growled, letting Windshear dive to chase him.

Dagur banked to the left, right in-between to pillars and then to the right. Heather focused on keeping herself behind him, narrowing her eyes in concentration. Banking right to keep herself close to him, she grunted as he quickly pulled up, letting her fly directly under him. Stopping, she whirled around to see that he had disappeared. "No!" She shouted, frantically searching for any sign of him and his Gronckle.

Suddenly, she felt Windshear buckle, as if something smashed into her from underneath! "Woah!" She shouted, feeling Windshear drop from the sky. Windshear herself let out an anguished cry, gasping for breath. Feeling her land on a rock pinnacle, she quickly checked on her dragon. "Are you alright, Windshear?!" She cried, making eye contact with her.

Windshear put on a forced smile, trying to show that she was alright.

"Easy, just rest." Heather ordered, scanning the sky for Dagur, waiting for him to strike at her while she was helpless. Instead, she found the rest of the gang had surrounded her, protecting her and Windshear.

"Heather, are you alright?!" Astrid shouted, hovering lower to check on her "We saw you and Windshear fall out of the sky!"

"Dagur!" She shouted, not caring how she was doing "You have to stop Dagur!"

"Too late! He's already at the shipyard!" Ukiah shouted, pointing in a direction.

Sure enough, Dagur was just arriving at one of the ships, shouting something at the top of his lungs.

"What do we do?!" Astrid cried out, looking at Hiccup with concern.

"Even if he warns them, they'll still need time to react." Hiccup shouted, narrowing his eyes "We have to hit the shipyard now!"

"Already on it!" Matt shouted, knowing his role "On me Wasatch!" At that, the two Skrills surged ahead, leaving the rest behind. Peering through his goggles, he narrowed his eyes as he found a central ship. Getting ready to let Teton drill the ship with a focused lightning bolt, he let out an audible gasp. The cliff wall overlooking the ship collapsed, revealing a cove full of archers and catapults. "What the?!" He shouted, pulling up on Teton and flying higher. Looking down, he watched Dagur barrel roll to dodge the catapults, but Shattermaster still took a few arrows. The Boulder Class dragon ignored the arrows and flew on, leaving a layer of lava behind.

"It was a trap!" Matt whispered to himself, staring below in disbelief as another cliff wall collapsed and revealing more hunters and catapults firing at Dagur. Seeing that Dagur was telling the truth, and that he was all by himself, Matt pulled down his goggles and shouted "Wasatch! Cover us! Teton! Get ready to send your lighting pulse all around us! We need to buy Dagur time some to get out!"

Just as he was about to dive down, a screech sounded to his right. Before he could even react, he watched Wasatch fly over him and Teton, spreading himself out and covering them. "What the?!" He shouted, getting pushed around as Wasatch finished flying over. To his horror, he saw him covered in glowing mist, and was plummeting to the ships below as if he was frozen. "Wasatch!" He shouted, watching him crash into one of the many ships.

"Oh, and I thought you were going to be an easy target. Well, at least one of your Skrills is gone. I'll have to take his head later." A voice taunted next to him. His blood ran cold with ice hearing it. Narrowing his eyes, he turned to see the person he was yearning to fight. Darien. Seeing her stand on Banshee, he quickly discovered that she copied him by way of riding her Flightmare. Dragon boarding on him.

Gritting his teeth, he was about to put Teton in a dive to protect Wasatch. Darien knew exactly what he was going to do, flying Banshee in front of him and cutting him off. "Nope. He's ours now." She laughed, smirking at him.

"Then I'll cut you down to get to him!" Matt roared, feeling his blood pump with anger.

"Oh come now. Do you really think you'll be able to outfly me?" She lauded, seeing his face visibly darken "I'm dragon boarding too, Matt. And I'm on a lot more nimble of a dragon than any of your Skrills. Did you think you were the only snowboarder from our world? I told you I did it too!" Standing up straight in her homemade bindings, she then opened up her arms as if to receive him "Come on, Matt! This is a perfect chance to see who the best dragon boarder is! You or me! One of us will leave here as the true Dragon Boarder! This is for the title!"

"This ends with you dead!" Matt roared, ushering Teton to surge forwards, letting out a blast of lightning that varied in multiple directions.

Banshee roared, rotating into a barrel roll and diving below to gain speed. Darien shifted her body with Banshee, helping him maneuver and keep the momentum. Teton screeched angrily, recognizing the Flightmare as the one that attacked Matt a few months ago on Viggo's island. Letting out a series of bolts, he continued to blast around and right behind Banshee.

Banshee flew under a burning mast of a ship, rolling around and banking hard left. Darien kept her stance and twisted her body as the maneuvers came, trusting her dragon to take the best route. Turning around, she saw Matt was right behind her. Gritting her teeth, she focused on what lay ahead, constantly shifting her body around.

Matt guided Teton on the other side of the mast, with Teton flying on his side with his wings going up and down. Matt used the G-forces to keep him standing up and to guide Teton along the cliff wall and right over one the traps. If it weren't for Teton's sheer speed, they would have been easy targets to shoot at. Narrowing his eyes, he let Teton fire a lightning bolt ahead of Darien, smashing into the rock pillar ahead.

"Agh!" She shouted, shielding herself from the debris "All right, I've had enough!" She shouted, feeling the rocks hit her "Leave a trail for them, Banshee!"

Banshee roared, spraying a glowing mist from his mouth. The mist floated in the air, creating a beautiful spectacle; as if line art was being painted in the sky.

Matt quickly rolled away from the mist, being forced to back off from chasing her directly from behind. Gritting his teeth, he grunted as he guided Teton around another rock pillar to intercept her. Though he was just as fast as Wasatch, Teton wasn't as maneuverable, due to his size and with still learning Matt's way of dragon boarding. And this was messing with Matt and his ability to pursue Darien efficiently. Ignoring the battle and explosions behind him, he quickly found Darien heading directly at him. "Now!" He shouted, letting Teton create a lightning pulse. It was a unique move to Teton, as Wasatch never created anything like before.

The pulse surged through the air, creating the crackling and snapping sound. Banshee, though maneuverable, couldn't get out of the way fast enough, getting hit in the wing. "Agh! No!" Darien shouted, feeling Banshee stall a bit from being hit "Come on, Bansh! We can do this!" Banshee roared, shaking off the stunning hit and turned to see Teton already barreling towards them with teeth bared, ready to rip out his throat. Roaring angrily, Banshee flipped over to where he was falling down on his back and looking straight at Teton. With one loud, challenging roar, he sent a pillar of mist right towards him.

Teton screeched in surprise. Banking hard right, he threw Matt's balance at the last second turn. "Wagh!" He shouted, flailing his arms to try and stay centered on Teton's back. But, as fast as Teton was flying, and with Matt not prepared for the turn, he was a second too late. Matt felt something moist cover his right arm. Then the surprising notion came: it locked up. No matter how much he struggled, his arm refused to move! "Gah! No!" He screamed in frustration and panic. He knew what happened, he just couldn't believe he let her out fly him. Looking down at Teton, he saw that his tail was hit with the mist. "Teton! Get to land! We can't fly against her and that Flightmare!" He shouted. If Teton could get to the main part of the island, he could still unstrap himself and fall off, letting Teton be able to fight from the ground.

Teton growled in frustration, unable to use his tail to help steer. Though very sloppily, and struggling to do so, he was making progress to the island.

"Going somewhere?" A voice called out, making Matt close his eyes in angst. He was beat. There was no way he could get away now.

Darien flew in front of him, cutting off Teton. Placing her hands on her hip, she smirked at him with her confident and boastful smile. "And here I thought I would have to really work to beat you. You're really not that good of a boarder; or dragon rider, you know that?"

Matt scowled at her, unable to say anything. She was toying with him, and was going to make him listen to everything she said. The hate that surged through his body was antagonizing, making him shake to try and contain it.

"Now I'll finally be able to have my family's reve- Agh!" She screamed, feeling Banshee fall in the air.

Banshee roared in pain, catching himself from falling any further. With a loud groan, he simply hovered there, unsure of what just happened.

Matt eyes went wide, seeing exactly what happened. A hail of quills rained down onto banshee, with three of them sticking out of his back.

Both boarders looked up see Heather glaring angrily at Darien. Letting Windshear hover near Teton, she then said "I'm going to kill you Darien. Because I regret stopping Matt from doing it a few months ago."

"What did you do to Banshee?!" She screamed, kneeling down and touching one of the quills buried in his back. Glaring at Heather with a fire in her eyes, she roared "You can kill me, if you stop me from killing you!" At that, she let Banshee fold his wings, falling straight down towards the burning fleet below.

Heather began to dive after her, only to be stopped by Matt

"Heather! No! She's leading you to a trap!" He shouted, stopping her from chasing after her "I need help. I lost Wasatch earlier and have no idea where he is! And Teton's half a dragon! We were hit by Banshee!"

Heather stopped, turning towards him. Nodding, she replied "Come on, I'll help you to find Wasatch." At that, she let Windshear hover right next to Teton.

"Teton, get yourself to safety, bud." Matt grunted, kneeling down and using his left arm to unbuckle the bindings. Grunting, he then leaped over, flopping over onto Windshear's neck and behind Heather and struggling to pull himself up.

Heather grabbed his tunic and pulled him up, sitting him behind her. "What about you? Where were you hit?" She asked, turning to looking at him with concern.

"Right arm." He huffed, returning his attention to below. Another explosion sounded off, illuminating the smoke with an orange light "Don't worry about me, it's Wasatch I'm worried about!"

"Where did you see him crash at?" She asked, staring at the raging fires below.

"Somewhere on a ship. I don't know where exactly!" He replied, turning to Teton "Get out of here boy! Wait until that stupid paralysis wears off."

Heather nodded, letting Windshear dive down below into the smoke.

"Where's the others? What're they doing?" Matt asked, pulling up his goggles to protect his eyes from the black smoke and bright embers plaguing the air.

"They're being held back! They can't get through the traps that were waiting for us!" Heather shouted, pulling up her cloth mask to help her breathe "I saw you fighting Darien and had to help you! Glad I did."

Matt went silent, knowing what she was hinting at. "Me too." He whispered quietly, but still felt a hurt feeling run through his body. Shaking his head, he continued to scan the wrecked ships below.

Of the twelve, ten were set on fire, some burning more than others. The fires were large, and the smoke thick. Windshear skillfully maneuvered past the wrecks, using the smoke as cover from any hunters and eyes. If they were spotted, they were only seen for a second before becoming engulfed in the smokescreen

Then, to both their surprise, they saw that Dagur was still flying! Seeing him throw two daggers, they gasped as they both sliced two ropes, causing a mast to drop its sail and become instantly engulfed in flames, helping spread the raging inferno. Matt tried to call out to Dagur, but instead inhaled smoke and began to cough torrentially. The embers and smoke made the overcast sky darker, with an orange hue coloring everything.

"Matt! Heather!" He called out, seeing them fly by "What are you doing here?! Get out of here!"

"We need to find my Skrill, Wasatch!" Matt shouted, trying to stop coughing "I'm not leaving him!"

"Then I'll give you two some cover!" Dagur roared, flying alongside the two. Narrowing his eyes, he then drew another dagger and shouted "Come on, Shattermaster! Let's show these hunters what a real rider and his dragon can do!" Shattermaster roared happily, diving straight down into a thick smokescreen, disappearing into the fiery abyss.

"Dagur!" Matt shouted, trying to stop him. Both Matt and Heather watched in horror as a few explosions sounded off, illuminated the thick, dark smoke he disappeared into.

Then to their right, they saw something that brought them back to why they were in the middle of the fleet. A large lightning bolt striking in the middle of the fleet. "There! Head there!" He shouted, pointing to the direction he saw the lightning.

Heather went low, getting out of the smoke so Matt could breathe. Clenching her teeth in angst, she rolled Windshear to dodge a single arrow fired by a hunter. Windshear then shot one of her blasts at the lone hunter, nailing him directly and destroying what remained of his burning ship he was stranded on.

Matt then shouted "There! On that ship!"

On a deck of a burning ship, was Wasatch, though he was still frozen with a net over him. However, near him were two hunters lying still on the deck and unmoving. Wasatch himself was radiating lightning and protecting himself from letting the remaining Hunters get close.

"Now Windshear!" Heather roared, letting her send hail of quills at the men below.

The remaining hunters on the burning ship either dove off, or took a quill. The flurry of quills struck around Wasatch, protecting him and keeping any hunter close by away. "There!" She shouted, gently guiding Windshear to land "That should be all of them!"

Matt awkwardly slid off, still having no movement in his right arm. "Easy bud, I got you!" Matt grunted, hobbling to Wasatch. Seeing his rider, Wasatch let out a screech of joy and relief. As Matt got closer He didn't realize it, hit his leg was hit with the mist from the knee down, keeping him from being able to really sprint. Using his left arm, he grabbed the net and jerked on it, trying to pull it off.

"Come on, let's get him out of here!" Heather shouted, running to help him pull the net off.

"He should be getting movement back soon enough." Matt grunted, using one arm to take the heavy net off "It's been a few minutes since he's been hit!"

"Hiccup's going to be pretty angry with our heroics." Heather grunted, flipping the net over Wasatch's head.

"I don't care! I'm not leaving him!" Matt yelled, rolling the net off of Wasatch's wing.

Wasatch roared happily, already starting to move around a little bit. As best he could, he lightly shocked Heather for helping him.

"Gah!" She cried, not used to being shocked. Shaking her head, she then said "Later bud! Let's get you out of here!"

Suddenly a burning mast from another ship emerged from the smoke. The two stared in horror as it loomed over them.

"Look out!" Matt screamed, grabbing Heather with his arm and bracing for the impact.

Crash! The mast smashed into the bow of the ship they were on, breaking it a large piece off and letting it start to sink it at a faster rate. The impact bucked the ship, violently tossing the two riders up into the air and crashing back into the deck.

"Agghhh…" Heather groaned, getting the wind knocked out of her.

"No!" Matt yelled, seeing Wasatch begin slide down the deck. The dragon was getting some movement back, though all he could do was move his tail back and forth. Sliding on the charred deck after his paralyzed friend, he grabbed Wasatch's head with his left arm and pulled, slowing down the rate they were both sliding at.

"Hold on, Matt! I got him!" Heather shouted, getting her breath back and also sliding on the deck. Grabbing and holding Wasatch's head, she then yelled "How long until the paralysis wears off?"

"I don't know! It's the first time I ever dealt with a Flightmare!" He cried out, trying desperately to use his right arm to grab Wasatch "My arms' still locked up though, so I can't imagine it's too short of a time limit!"

"Ugh!" Heather shouted, struggling to pull Wasatch up with the ever-increasing angle of the sinking ship. At that, Wasatch began to slide even more down the ship and towards the dark water. "This is just great!" She yelled, trying to get a foothold.

Windshear, seeing that both Matt and Heather were going to be dragged into the ocean with Wasatch, reached and grabbed Wasatch with her tail, helping anchor him from sliding any further.

"Good job! Let's pull him up!" Matt shouted, seeing that she stopped them from sliding. With his blood pumping, due to the stress and the fire that was raging around them, he grunted "On three, pull! One, two, three!"

"Pull, Windshear!" Heather shouted, straining her muscles to help.

Ever so slowly, the three pulled the limp dragon up the deck.

"Again!" Matt shouted, pulling as hard as he could.

"Matt, we don't have much time! We need to get him out of here now! Even if Windshear has to carry him!" Heather cried out, also pulling with all her strength.

"No. No you don't have much time at all." A voice called out above them. Matt, Heather, and Windshear looked up to see Darien hovering above them. The blue glow of Banshee was masked by the thick smoke, though it didn't really hide his bright color on his body. Red streaks stained the blue body, showing that Windshear's quills did a bit of damage to him.

Before they could do or say anything, Banshee fired a mist sprayed over them, covering Matt, Heather, and Wasatch; freezing them in place. Matt could only watch helplessly as the ship continued to slowly sink further into the sea, unable to do anything.

"Oh, I'm going to get even with you after what you did to Banshee, Heather." Darien growled angrily, letting Banshee swoop down next to them. Staring at them with a scowl, she then let a crazed, deranged smile slowly grow on her face "So much for having this end with me dead, huh, Matt? Seems you and your dragons will be the ones filling in that spot. Pity, I was hoping to get more of you." At that, she flashed a dagger to her frozen enemies. Dagur's dagger "He wasn't that great of a rider, you know. Trying to fight me while on a Gronckle? Pitiful." Having Banshee grab Heather by the arm, she looked over at Matt and took his goggles off of him. "And I'll take these. Too bad I don't have time to take your head to prove you're dead. But this'll do. Shouldn't be too hard to believe if I say your dragon died with you; plus Windshear." Smirking, she teasingly stroked Heather's hair, while staring at Matt, saying "Good-bye, Matt. I never got that hot chocolate you promised. Oh well. Guess I'll have to live without ever getting one from you. Oh, don't worry about Heather. I'll take real good care of her. I won't make her death too painful. Slow, but not too painful. Not right away at least." At that, she then launched into the air with Heather in tow, laughing and disappearing into the smoke-filled sky.

"No!" Matt screamed in his mind, unable to say or do anything. Feeling the water lap at his feet, he stared helplessly as Wasatch slowly disappeared into the ocean. Windshear was latched onto the deck with her claws, not sliding, but still unable to move.

Feeling the water slowly swallow him up, he closed his eyes unable to breathe and do anything about it, not wanting to accept his fate. Then, to his shock, the water exploded in front of him. Wasatch was finally free! Screeching, he angrily shook the water off of him. But the sight that took his breath away even more so, and not because the water that was over his head, was seeing Arrow and Ukiah swimming under the debris filled water and hidden well enough to slip past the remaining traps and hunters.

"Matt!" He shouted, letting Arrow climb up the angled ship while he grabbed him out of the water. Pressing his head to Matt's chest, he was relieved to hear him still breathing. "What's going on? What happened to you?"

Matt couldn't say anything, let alone move to try and convey a message. Only angry tears were flowing down his face, seeing Heather being taken by Darien. She could have taken him, anyone but Heather! She didn't deserve this! She deserved a home! A place where people cared about her! Where someone treated her special.

Seeing that he couldn't move, and the same with Windshear, Ukiah then shouted "Wasatch! Can you carry Windshear?"

Wasatch roared in acknowledgement, knowing exactly what happened to her. Grabbing her wings with his claws, he hefted her up and began to fly up in the cover of the smoke and out from the wrecked shipyard.

"Come on! We're getting out of here!" Ukiah grunted, pulling Matt into his arms. Making sure he was situated, he then shouted "Up, Arrow! Let's get out of here!"

Arrow roared, knowing they were in a dangerous area, and that something was wrong with Matt. Launching into the air, his wings created an eerie scream for the speed he was flying at. Flying out of the smoke and leveling out, he turned and followed where Wasatch was flying to, being where the rest of the Riders had parked on a large rock pillar away from the shipyard.

Ukiah looked down at Matt in his arms with worry, still unsure of why he wasn't moving or talking. "Matt…" He whispered "What happened?"

Again, Matt couldn't say anything. The frustration, anger, depression and situation in general made him want to explode. Heather was being taken away and he couldn't do anything to tell the others! Darien was getting away!

"Ukiah? You found them?" Hiccup's voice sounded, making Matt want to scream even more. They had no idea what happened!

"Yeah, but neither Windshear nor Matt can move or talk!" He cried out, landing Arrow on the pillar. Dismounting, he carried Matt and gently sat him down, where he was surrounded by the rest of the riders.

"He's frozen!" Astrid quickly diagnosed "That's got Flightmare written all over it!"

"Where's Heather?!" Hiccup shouted, looking back at the fleet with a horror-stricken face.

"I didn't see her!" Ukiah cried out, only to stop as Matt forced a mumble.

"Urrghhh…" He groaned, fighting the paralysis as much as he could. He could already feel the affect start to wear off. Maybe due to the water? He didn't know, nor cared. He just had to be able to talk!

"Hold on! He's getting free." Astrid yelled, kneeling down and pushing Ukiah away. Holding Matt so that he was sitting up, she stared into his eyes and said "Matt, can you blink?"

Matt slowly closed and opened his eyes, grateful to be able to perform the simple act.

Astrid then grabbed his face by the cheeks, moving his facial muscles for him to try to wear the paralysis effects away faster. A few seconds of massaging his face, she then instructed "How about now? Can you talk?"

"Hea..th-th…er." He forced out, barely moving his lips to make the words.

"What about her? Is she alive?!" Hiccup interrupted, hearing what he was trying to say.

Slowly, he shook his head, though he could feel movement return at a much faster rate. "Urggh." He groaned, now able to shake the paralysis from his face. Looking up at everyone, he cried out "She has her! She left me and our dragons for dead, but took her!"

"Wait, who has who?" Hiccup called out, kneeling next to him.

Still unable to move his body, Matt shook his head as violently as he could "Darien! Darien that bitch! She took Heather when we were frozen and sinking on a ship!" Trying to turn to face the others, he cried "She used that Flightmare, Banshee or whatever she's calling him! They're flying away right now!"

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other with grim faces. By now, she was long gone. Having had quite a few minutes of a head start and in any direction.

"When?! When did she take her?" Ukiah asked, also kneeling down in front of Matt.

Sobbing, Matt shook his head in angst "Minutes before you pulled me out of the water. She left us to drown." Looking up at Ukiah with red eyes, he cried "She didn't know about you and Arrow being able to swim. Otherwise, she'd have run me through."

Ukiah just nodded, also knowing that it was pointless to try and follow Darien.

"I…I'm worthless." Matt gasped out loud "First I betrayed her, and then I got her captured. Look how great of a person I am to her."

No one could say anything to comfort him. Looking down at Matt sobbing into Astrid's shoulder, everyone turned to hear a victory cheer coming from the smoke. The hunters won. And won decisively.

* * *

Matt quietly walked into his room. The sky was darkening, with thunder ravaging in the background. Teton and Wasatch walked in behind him, with Windshear as well. Covered in soot from the burning ship, smelling like smoke, and feeling dirty in general; he just shook his head as he watched Windshear walk in with her head hanging low.

The Razorwhip let out a moan of mourning, laying down on her stone slab. Not even bothering to make eye contact with Matt or either of the Skrills, she just lay there thinking of Heather.

Matt didn't even bother trying to comfort her. He was a wreck himself. The day was a total loss for them. Dagur was killed during the attack, having successfully shown them all that they were flying to a trap and Darien outflew him, beating him in a one on one fight. How did she beat him? Furrowing his eyes, he then thought of what losing to her cost him. Heather was taken by her. Perhaps even killed.

Pulling out his knife from his pocket and hatchet strapped to his side, he carelessly tossed them onto his desk. Not doing anything else to put away or take care of his gear, he stumbled up the stairs to the loft. Shaking his head, he continued to think of the person that refused to step out of his mind.

"I'm so sorry, Heather." He whispered, tears reappearing in his eyes. It was his fault. It was all his fault. Breaking her heart, and then getting her captured. It was all him.

Stopping at the landing, Matt paused to glance at Heather's section. The dark room was felt emptier than what it looked. Sighing, Matt reverently walked into her room. Seeing some of her other hand-crafted battleaxes hanging on the wall, he scanned the room. Everything he saw made him wish she was there right then. Then again, he didn't deserve her. He was the reason she was gone in the first place. Last night and tonight.

Sighing, he turned to walk out, only to have something catch his attention. A paper on her bed with writing on it.

Unsure of what it was, he walked over and grabbed it, reading it quietly to himself:

 _"Heather, if you're reading this, I guess that's bad news for me. Sorry, but I couldn't let Hiccup fly you into a trap. Tell our little brother that if he really wants to hurt Viggo, hit his dragon auction. I don't know where it's going to be, but if he turns over enough rocks, some worm will tell him where it is. One other thing. I didn't kill our father. When he disappeared, I let people believe that, so they would think I was tough enough to be chief. I couldn't rest easy with you not knowing the truth. Well, now you know. Heather, I did a lot of things I'm sorry for. Specifically, what I did to you and Matt."_

Matt's stomach felt like someone hit it, seeing that he was in Dagur's last letter.

" _He's the only man that I respect to be with you. He's not perfect, and he's definitely a Haddock in regards that he's stubborn and bull headed, if not predictable. But he's the only one that I trust to watch over you. Just know, that I love you. Be safe. Your brother, Dagur."_

Matt's eyes let a couple of tears drop onto the paper. Dagur did change. And he never even tried to believe him. Closing his eyes, he recounted the promise he made to him. That he'd watch after Heather. Even if he felt that he wasn't the right one for her, he could still protect her. And that's exactly what he was going to do. To honor Dagur and the promise he made to him, and to get Heather back; if Darien hadn't killed her already. If so, then it was a way for him to avenge her.

Turning around, he then jogged down the stairs and out of his room. "Hiccup!" He shouted, running to Hiccup's room "I found something that you'll find interesting!"

* * *

 _ **There you go! Getting into some pretty hefty stuff. I hope that the plot isn't redundant, but this is what I needed in regards to set up a future scene. Again, hope you enjoyed it! Have an awesome day!**_

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


	17. Chapter 17: The Black Heart

**Chapter Seventeen: The Black Heart**

* * *

Darien stared at Banshee, who was sleeping in a curled-up ball. Windshear's quills were removed, and one of Viggo's healers was busy patching up the holes that were dug into his back. She lightly shook her head as she watched the hunter continue to wrap bandages around the glowing dragon. "How long will it take him to heal?" She asked, reached forward and stroking Banshee's head.

"He's incredibly sturdy for his size." The hunter answered "Honestly, he won't be slowed down too much. You can ride him like you did coming back here." Securing some of the bandages, he then said "That being said, it'll be a month before the holes' kind of fill in. A few more to have it heal completely."

Darien nodded, frowning at the time it'd take for the scars to heal. Seeing Banshee open his eyes and look at her, he then nuzzled her hand. "Hey, Bansh. How are you feeling?" She whispered, a smile cracking on her face. She never thought she'd be like Matt, or any of the riders in regards to caring for a dragon. But seeing him hurting made her furious. Hence why she abducted and tortured Heather.

Banshee let out a soft growl. Closing his eyes, he resumed sleeping, resting from the injuries.

Shaking her head, she stood up and walked over to the shelves containing her few possessions. Grabbing a small leather strip, she then began to tie her hair into her signature ponytail. Running her hand through her sandy blonde hair, she let out a long sigh as she re-strapped her sword to her hip. It was more comfortable for her, and it was easier for her to draw it if she needed to.

"Darien! Tell me about your successful trap!" Viggo laughed, bursting into the room and surprising everyone in the room.

Whirling around to look at Viggo with a surprised, quizzical smile, she asked "What do you mean successeful? I wasn't able to kil-"

"Then what's this, hmm?" Viggo asked with a wide smile. Holding up Matt's goggles, he then tossed them onto one of Darien's shelves. "And this?" He added, pulling out Dagur's dagger "I also heard you froze Heather's dragon and one of Matt's Skrills on a sinking ship! Two dragons and Hiccup's brother! Not to mention Dagur himself!"

"You heard it all?!" She gasped out loud, shocked to see him smiling "But Dagur ruined the trap! He went ahead of Hiccup and his gang!"

"And you still killed him, didn't you?" Viggo asked, reaching down and grabbing her. Making her stand, he then said "Even though it was sprung early, the trap worked. And you made it work by improvising. You not only flew against one of Hiccup's top riders, you beat him! And killed him and his dragon! What were you hoping for?"

Smiling sheepishly at the praise, she rubbed her arms as she explained "I guess I was expecting everything to go according to plan. That's what I consider a success."

Viggo shook his head with a smile. Taking her under his wing, he explained "You did what you were ordered to do, and you made the most of what you were given. Well done."

"Thanks." She replied half-heartedly. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to see Banshee still sleeping while the hunter continued to patch up his wounds "I know you're telling me I succeeded, and I won't doubt it, but I'd like to stay with Banshee. He got hit pretty hard during our fight with the riders."

Viggo smiled at her, knowing why she was down. "He'll be fine, Darien. He just needs some rest. I'll send my best healer to check up on him later. Right now, I need you to come with me. That special client I told you about arrived last night for the auction."

"Wait, really?" She gasped, shocked at the news "When did he come? Have you met with him yet?"

Shaking his head, Viggo explained "Not yet. They came last night when you were…busy with Heather." Walking through a doorway that opened up to a series of tunnels and hallways, he then guided her down one hall.

"What are you planning on doing with her anyways?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the subject "I figured you'd like me beating and killing her. Or at least torturing her. Why'd you stop me?"

"I have a purpose for her. Which is twofold now." Viggo explained. Walking past a few cells filled with Speed Stingers, he then continued to say "For one, it's going to draw Hiccup and his crew to us. If I know Hiccup, he'll be searching for answers of where we could have taken her. Second, is a promise I made to him. I told him to be weary of the traitor piece in Maces and Talons. Representing Heather."

"And you're trying to make him suspect her? Undermine her?" She answered, trying to see Viggo's plan.

"Mmmm…sure." Viggo replied with a shrug "In a broad way of saying it, yes. That's what I'm trying to do. But more specifically, I'm looking to undermine everything that she's built with Hiccup and the riders. Specifically, Matt. Though, I don't need to worry about him anymore, thanks to you."

"I'm confused." Darien huffed, shaking her head at trying to follow the logic "Why are you trying to make her the traitor piece in your game with Hiccup if Matt's already out of the picture?"

"Matt would have fallen apart if she betrayed them again, but what you did probably destroyed the riders more than I could have expected. If she's already betrayed them and made right with them as well; and then betrays them again, that'll destroy any trust and care they had in her, and destroy their morale among themselves. Isn't that right, Heather?" Viggo laughed, walking to a single cell. Stopping in front of it, he just stared at the cell's lone resident.

"Rrmmphh?" Heather grunted weakly, opening her eyes and looking up at the two through her cell; well, she opened up one eye. Her left one was swollen shut and bruised. A bandana was tightly tied around her head, cleave gagging her. She was laying on the floor with her wrists tied behind her, and a few coils of rope wrapped around her arms and chest as well. Her armor that wasn't shattered or broken, was taken off of her. Basically, only wearing her brown tunic and grey pants, one sleeve of her tunic was torn and revealing a bruising arm and another large gash across her bicep. She looked like she went through a grinder, as she had dry blood staining her face and a nasty cut on her cheek, with a small trickle of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

After Darien brought her to Viggo's island, she was true with her promise to Matt. She took out her anger and hate on Heather for what Windshear did to Banshee. She would have kept on torturing her if Viggo hadn't stopped her.

"Comfortable, auntie?" Darien growled, glaring at Heather in anger "I know Banshee would like to come and keep you company."

"Hhmmph…" Heather huffed, unable to throw an insult or do anything to ease her pain. She just quietly glared at the two with her narrowed, green eye. After staring at them for a bit, she gently closed her one eye and laid her head back down on the stony ground. She gave up trying to escape a while ago, having no energy to do so. Refusing to give Darien and Viggo any satisfaction over her, she just lay there and tried to ignore her audience; waiting for what they were going to do her.

Smiling, Viggo turned and continued to walk away with Darien right next to him. Making sure he was out of hearing range from Heather, he then explained "As to why I'm doing this, rather than just ending her, it's to make her suffer for choosing to side with Hiccup. You remember the vow I made when you helped me get the Dragon Eye. I'm going to make Hiccup Haddock sorry for ever crossing me by making every dragon suffer, either by being sold and killed. And a way I'm going to do that is by turning those he cares about against him. And as far as Heather goes, well, her being banished again will make her wish death upon herself. And there are things in this world a lot worse than death."

Darien felt chills run down her back. The way he said it; so casually and emotionlessly, it made her think deeper in what he said.

Walking up some stairs that led outside, he then said "But that won't be until later tonight. Perhaps tomorrow. I need to prepare a little bit more time thinking about how I'm going to break her and the riders.

"If you need help, I'll be right with you." Darien added, walking into the sunshine with him. As far north as the auction was taking place, it was a miracle it was as sunny as it was. Especially the season being fall. Looking around, she watched two hunters load up a drugged out Nightmare into a cage.

"That's right, load her up. I got this brute." Ryker's voice shouted, making both Viggo and Darien turn to see him. He was dragged a Nadder into a cage single handedly, to which he kicked it as he walked out. Slamming the cage shut, he then turned to see his brother and Darien staring at him. "Hmph. Guess yer trap was a success after all." He grunted, walking up to Darien.

"I guess so. Didn't get everyone I wanted, but at least Matt's now sleeping with the fishes." Darien replied, shrugging at his gruffness "One Haddock down, one more to go."

Then the oddest thing happened. She stared in disbelief as Ryker let a small smile crack on his face. All her time working with the Hunters, she never saw him smile unless he was either getting paid, trapping a dragon, or killing one.

"Heh, guess yer going to have to leave Hiccup to me. I wanted Matt, but I see that's not going to happen." Chuckling, he stunned Darien by patting her Dragon Hunter shoulder plate and saying "It's a good problem."

Staring at him in disbelief, she just nodded her head, realizing that Ryker finally accepted her as a Dragon Hunter.

"I told you, Darien. Your trap was an immense success." Viggo followed up with, smiling at her. Taking her hand with the missing ring finger, he added "You're not only part of us now, you're now an equal to me and Ryker. Whatever you say, it'll be done. I'm giving this power and promotion to you because I know you'll always be on our side, and do that which will benefit us."

Shaking her head in disbelief with the promotion, she then cracked a wry smile "Does that mean I get another swordsmanship lesson from Ryker?"

Viggo and Ryker chuckled, shaking their heads at the joke. "If it helps ya put down the dragon riders, then I'll give yeh ten lessons." Ryker replied, still shaking his head.

"With that out of the way, let's go visit our potential clients." Viggo called out, guiding Ryker and Darien to the docks "We have much to discuss with them. And we want to make this as beneficial as possible to us."

"Agh, I hope these Thariin freaks aren't like Strogg and his small crew." Ryker growled, shaking his head as he recalled dealing with them "'Bout killed one of 'em."

"Ugo's probably here with this new chief." Viggo answered, unfazed by Ryker's menacing growl "If so, I expect you to behave, Ryker. Darien, I'd like you to just stand back and watch us talk. Try to pick up on their behavior and mannerisms. We can use anything to our advantage to drive up our price."

"Very well. Maybe I'll pick up a thing or two about negotiating as well." She acknowledged with a frown growing on her face. "As long as they don't make me slave away on their ship. I still hate them for making me do that."

"Indeed." Viggo agreed, walking down a pathway that led to the docks. Stopping he pointed at a ship and said "That's their ship. I haven't seen anyone come off of it except a few men when they were securing the ship to the dock."

Darien stared at the ship with a surprised expression. It was unique. Unlike the classic longboats, drakkar warships, or the hunter's vessels; it was very much a plank of wood with a massive sail. The sides were just feet above the water, and the bow was shaped like a cone. It honestly looked like an arrow, meant to cut through the water.

Some men on the ship saw Viggo. One shouted something and pointed at them.

"Seems they were waiting for us." Ryker growled, rolling his shoulders to try and calm his anxious feeling body "Should be fun to talk to them again."

"Brother, remember. This is not Strogg." Viggo cautioned, watching some men start to make across the gangway of the ship "Let's be gracious and friendly with them; at least until we know more about them."

Darien instantly recognized one of the men up in front. Ugo. Strogg's right hand man and main soldier. Had Thariin's highest rank, being Champion. Though it meant little to her, she knew he earned that spot for a reason, and didn't doubt his ability to fight. Or kill. He was also the only man on Strogg's crew that thought rather than resort to fighting all the time. He at least had enough brains to not fall for every promise or trick thrown at him.

"Viggo Grimborn." Ugo announced, walking up to the trio "Been a good while since I've seen you. The last time I did was when I was taking Strogg's body back to Thariin."

"Aye, I remember." Viggo acknowledged with a friendly smile "Hope your trip here wasn't too long. Or rough, Ugo."

Ugo smiled, shaking his head. Turning to the unique ship, he explained "When Zekir the Black Heart took over as chief, he had this ship built. Strogg had a similar ship, and I think it was the inspiration for this. Strogg called it the Water Cutter. Heh, we lost it when we invaded Berk a few years back. It sailed faster than some dragons fly. This one, Zekir designed the bow of the ship to break and cut through waves that might otherwise slow us down. Hence, why he's called it the Water Breaker." Turning to Viggo with a wide smile, he added "It's not a warship, but as fast as it sails, no warship is a threat to it. Just dragon riders."

"It looks fast." Viggo complimented, staring at the unique design. After a few seconds of silence, he then turned to Ugo and asked "Where is Zekir?"

Ugo then frowned. Shaking his head, he replied "To be honest, I have no idea. He said he was going for a small walk earlier this morning." Looking up at the sun, almost at high noon, he then continued to say "But, he never came back. Honestly, he probably got distracted. He's a fierce warrior, and a decent ruler. He just has no track of time or sense of direction."

"But he is here on the island?" Viggo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Somewhere, yes." He answered "If you want, we can go search for him and then meet you wherever. I know you and your brother are busy. And have an auction to prepare."

Viggo smiled as he gently pulled Darien into view. "We are busy, but I'd like to help you search for Zekir. He couldn't have gone far. Darien, who I'm sure you remember, is now one of our top leaders and lieutenants. She'll help take care of our responsibilities while we search for your chief."

Darien did her best to hide her frown. Even with the promotion, she was still outranked by Viggo and Ryker; giving her the trash jobs. Lightly shaking her head, she then flashed a smile and said "I'll go check on the dragons from the last shipment. They haven't been secured in their cells yet. As well as make sure our security is still in effect."

"Thank you, Darien." Viggo replied, smiling at her. Leaning towards her ear, he whispered quietly to her "Just for now. We'll run into you on our search and pick you up."

Seeing why she was being sent away, she nodded and faced Ugo. "Pleasure meeting you again, Ugo. I'm sure we'll catch up some time later."

"Agreed." Ugo replied "I must say I'm surprised to see how fast you climbed their ranks. Either Viggo likes you a lot, or you're really as good as you say you are. I'm leaning towards the latter."

Smiling, Darien shrugged as she turned to walk away "Eh, I'll let Viggo tell you what I've done. But it doesn't hurt that I'm easily liked."

Ugo let a smile crack on his face. Watching her walk towards some cages loaded with dragons, he then said "She's grown up since I last saw her. She's confident."

"Which is why I wanted her in our meetings when we first met with you and Strogg." Viggo explained, also watching her leave "She just lacks experience. She's a natural leader. And hunter."

Ugo nodded in agreement. Turning to Viggo, he then said "I'm just saying right now, Viggo. Zekir isn't really anything like Strogg. Strogg was powerful and had a temper. He was terrifying to watch and follow. But Zekir? Zekir scares me. He's collected and is a lot more laid back than Strogg ever was. This, and the fact that he became chief on his own, are the reasons why I chose to follow him."

"I'll reserve that judgement for myself." Viggo replied "I'll make my opinion on him after we meet."

Ugo again nodded, knowing how Viggo acted. Gesturing for Viggo to guide him, he then said "Lead the way. I don't know your island like you do."

"Heh we'll check the pub we set up for our customers and friends." Viggo laughed, turning to walk deeper into the island "I'm sure he's made himself useful there!"

* * *

Darien inspected some of the cages that were damaged. A Catastrophic Quaken thrashed around while it was being transported. Being a Boulder class dragon, it became a sight to watch multiple hunters try to wrangle the beast down. Without Banshee, the task of containing them became more of a chore than when Darien became a member of the hunters.

Seeing the Catastrophic Quaken strapped down by multiple chains and nets, all staked into the ground, she shook her head. Banshee definitely made her life easier. In fact, he was the reason she was alive after dueling Matt in the sky. She trusted him and his maneuvers. When he rolled onto his back to fire at Matt, it was everything she had to grab onto him and not throw his balance off.

Turning, she then began to walk back to the caves and cells, feeling both hungry and anxious. Anxious to see how Banshee was doing. Windshear's quills definitely made him hurt, but she didn't want take any chances with his wounds and had two healers with him at all times. Her first executive order since her promotion.

As she walked by another alley way of cages, something caught her attention. A single boy, maybe her age, was standing in front of a Speed Stinger, observing it. He looked nothing like a hunter either. He wore a simple, sleeveless iron chest plate. His gauntlets were made of the same iron, his right one having etches in it; as if they were tally marks. Strapped to his back were two swords. One a longsword, and another being a shorter one-handed broadsword. He had short blonde hair, drawn back into a short pony tail. But the most shocking thing to her, was that no hunters were patrolling the cages! Leaving the boy all alone!

"You! Who are you?" She shouted, marching up to the boy.

Surprised at the order, he turned to see her walking towards him.

Seeing his face, he had a calming demeanor about him. His eyes were a soft brown hazel, and he had a single sole patch on his chin, being the same color as his hair. He looked strong, with his arms being large. Shaking her head to stop gawking at him, she narrowed her eyes and waited for his response.

Flashing a smile, he gestured to the Speed Stinger in the cage "Just looking at this beast. Never seen one of these dragons before."

"You'll get to see it a lot better if you don't tell me who you are and what you're doing here!" She barked, resting her hand on her sword at her hip. Her eyes burned into his, though for some reason, they had no effect in intimidating him.

"My apologies, I should have known you hunters would have been more protective over your merchandise." The boy laughed, taking a step back from her and the cage. Bowing to her, he then introduced himself "My name is Zekir the Black Heart. I am the current Chief of Thariin."

Darien eyed him suspiciously. Looking him up and down, she then asked "Aren't you a little young to be Chief of Thariin?"

The boy laughed, seeing her doubts. Shaking his head, he then said "Guess I'll have to show you like I had to do with everyone else." At that, with lightning like reflexes, he drew his broadsword from his back.

Darien saw it coming, but a fraction of a second too late. As she drew her sword, the boy crashed the flat side of the blade right into her hand, crunching her fingers and forcing her to drop it. The boy didn't stop there. With the tip of his sword, he flipped Darien's sword farther away from them, mid-air. Not even losing a breath, the boy simply placed the sword point on her chest and said "No one believed me back in Thariin that I was chief either. I killed them to prove my point." Then, with a smile, he drew his sword back and sheathed it, saying "I don't think I need to do that with you, do I?"

Shocked at how fast the kid was, and shaking her hand in pain, she shook her head and growled "You haven't proven you're a chief. You've proven you're a swordsman."

The boy stared at her with a surprised expression. Then with a grin, laughed "I'll be honest, you're the first to really point out the difference between the two. Admirable and clever. Though I promise you I am the Chief of Thariin, I guess I'll have to have my men vouch for me sometime later." Kneeling down, he grabbed her sword and handed it to her. "How about we start over?" He suggested with a smile "My name's Zekir the Black Heart. What's your name?"

Eyeing him cautiously, Darien took the sword and sheathed it. "Darien. Chief lieutenant to Viggo and Ryker Grimborn."

"Oh? I've been meaning to meet with them." Zekir commented, smiling at Darien. Looking her up and down, he asked "How did he get someone as beautiful as you to work for him?"

Darien instantly blushed, not expecting the compliment. Especially one at that magnitude from a stranger. Shaking her head, she coughed "Uh, I just signed up. More or less."

Nodding, Zekir then replied with a smile "Well it's a pleasure meeting you, Darien. Is there any chance that someone of your position can guide me back to the docks? I've been wandering around here for hours, and following directions never been my strongest talent."

Trying to shake off the embarrassed feeling, she quickly turned around to walk away "Stay close. I won't back track for you."

Zekir smiled as he jogged to walk alongside her. Matching her pace step for step, he then asked "How long have you been with Viggo?"

"Uh…six month's maybe?" She replied, glad to at least be asked a more normal question.

"Wow, and you already became his chief lieutenant? How did you climb up the ladder so quickly?" He asked with a surprised expression.

"I did everything they asked me to do. And then some extra work as the opportunities came." She explained, pointing in a direction to guide him to the docks "This way."

"Thank you." He again said, following her.

"Chief Zekir!" A voice shouted behind the two, making them turn to see Viggo, Ryker, and Ugo walking towards them "I see you already met Darien."

"Just briefly." Zekir replied with a comforting smile, seeing Darien gape at him.

Darien just stood there dumbfounded. Not once did she believe that he was the actual Chief of Thariin. She didn't even buy the fact that his name was actually Zekir!

"This is yer chief?" Ryker growled, eyeing him the same way Darien did "He's young."

"He's proven himself. Besides, isn't your Darien also young?" Ugo defended, walking up next to him "He's a man-o-war. He's challenged the Steward of Thariin and won. And he's fought countless times from others that tried to take it away from him."

"My brothers were nothing like what father was." Zekir explained, looking up at Viggo with a smile. Extending his hand, he then introduced "I am Chief Zekir the Black Heart."

Viggo took the hand and looked him in the eyes. They were a quiet confidence. Almost too laid back. "Well, it certainly is a pleasure Chief Zekir. I'll be honest, the only thing I've heard about you, is what Ugo told us about in his letter. And it wasn't that much."

"Heh, well, if you'd like, we can have lunch on our ship. And I can explain how I came to be." Zekir replied with a wide smile. Turning to Darien, he asked "Would you accompany us? Not only as a lieutenant for Viggo, but as a special guest?"

Taken back at the invitation, Darien glanced at Viggo, who very shallowly nodded his head. "Uh…uh, sure. I guess." She answered, feeling herself start to blush again.

Smiling with his usual calm smile, Zekir began to walk away, saying "Ugo, have the crew prep lunch with the best supplies we have."

"Yes, my chief." Ugo replied, bowing at the young swordsman. Then, with a little hesitation in his voice, called out to Zekir "Uh, my chief. The ship is the other way."

Zekir whipped his head around, staring at Ugo. Laughing out loud, he shook his head as he changed his course. Walking next to Darien, he then asked "Would you mind finishing guiding me to my ship? Seems I can't do anything but make wrong turns."

Nodding, Darien didn't say anything as she blushed. Turning away from him quickly, she continued to guide him away.

Watching the two walk away, Ugo turned to Viggo and said "I never thought I'd see it. But little Zekir has his heart snatched by your Darien."

"I can see that." Viggo replied, shaking his head in disbelief. Watching her guide Zekir away, he let a small smile grow on his face. This may be the opportunity of a lifetime.

* * *

"Mmmm." Zekir replied with a smile, seeing plates of fish filets, bread, and goblets being set at everyone's place. Two crewman then each placed a bottle of wine on both ends of the table. "This will be the best meal we've had since we started this trip." Turning to Viggo, he explained "We've usually had simple meals with only water. No point in being fancy if I don't have too, especially if we are trying to cut down weight on this ship."

Viggo just nodded, trying to read Zekir's personality. For an alleged man-o-war, he seemed a bit too relaxed.

"So…how did ya' get to be Chief of Thariin?" Ryker asked, eyeing Zekir carefully.

"Well, I guess I can say I was born into it. At least born to take the position." Zekir replied, cutting his filet and taking a bite out of it "Mmm…I guess I was hungry from all the wandering I was doing." Looking back at Ryker, he explained "If Ugo didn't tell you, I'm Strogg's son. Well, one of them."

"Strogg had kids?" Darien asked, staring at him in surprise. Having been seated right next to Zekir, she did her best to keep herself from blushing. Focusing on trying to learn more about him, she then added "He didn't say anything about having a family when he was here."

"Because he didn't really know about me." Zekir laughed, reaching and opening the bottle of wine. Pouring himself a cup, he then proceeded to pour Darien a cup as well, turning her face as red as the liquid. "Strogg never married. He had…uh…several wenches."

Viggo's eyes lit up, seeing how Zekir was related to the former Chief of Thariin.

"I think I was twelve or thirteen when my mom told me who my dad was." Zekir continued to say "By the time I learned this, Strogg was a raging man. And unapproachable."

"Aye, he was." Ugo seconded, taking a swallow from his drink "He learned that Ukiah was still alive."

"He didn't like being annoyed by villagers. So I decided I'd do the next best thing. I trained to become a Champion of Thariin. Like Ugo here." Zekir continued to say aloud "I wanted to show him I'm more than a bastard son."

Ugo nodded, saying "Strogg only noticed stand out soldiers and leaders. If you tried to talk to him face to face, chances were that he'd forget you before you left the room. Zekir's plan was to make him notice what he was doing."

"And that's how I began my path to be a man-o-war." Zekir replied, smiling at Ryker who kept on staring at him "Just as I was moving up the ranks among the soldiers, Strogg left on his crusade. To hunt down the last Crevite, Ukiah." Zekir then looked down slightly, though still having a smile "I promised myself that I'd be a champion when he returned. Well, years went by and there was no sign or evidence that Strogg was still around. So Strogg's steward made himself chief, which rubbed me wrong. It wasn't right that someone like him be made chief. So, I challenged him to a duel."

"For the position of chief?" Viggo asked, intrigued by the tale.

"Yup." He replied with a smile. Drawing his longsword, he raised it up with one hand while looking at it. The blade glistened in the sunlight, showing the care he took for his weapons. "While I was training to become a champion, I quickly realized that it was a weak program. At least for me. It couldn't push me to be the leader that Thariin needed. Someone like Strogg. So, I left the ranks of Thariin's guard and trained with mercenaries, freelancers, and sell-swords. Thariin is a magnet for far away travelers to visit, and were not in no short supply. I learned from everyone and trained with the ones that claimed to be the best. Because of this, I learned to fight with a longsword, and also with a broadsword."

"And after you dueled the steward, you became chief?" Darien asked, ignoring her lunch and listening to Zekir's origin story intently.

Seeing that she was eagerly listening to his story, he flashed a smile at her, nodding. "Aye, I did. I made quick work of the pompous windbag. I fought baby dragons tougher than him."

"But that wasn't the challenge of becoming chief." Ugo interrupted, getting the story back on track "I arrived with Strogg's body shortly after. Found out Zekir was the chief and went to inquire of why he should be chief.

"That's when I told everyone I was his son. Illegitimately." Zekir took over, looking at Viggo "The bastard son, now chief and ruler of Thariin." Gesturing to Ugo, he said "I asked Ugo to be my advisor. Which he declined. I hadn't earned anyone's trust or respect. Yet." Leaning back in his chair, he continued to say "Well, when I announced who I was, every single kid who wanted to prove themselves challenged me." Shaking his head, Zekir's friendly and light demeanor slowly disappeared. Viggo made note of the change, seeing that he did have the persona of a warrior. "Apparently, Strogg was very…sexually active when he was ruling Thariin; and I wasn't the only kid that had him as a father."

"This is where he proved himself to me." Ugo spoke up "He fought and dueled over ten others, all claiming to be the rightful chief. At one point, he fought three of them at once. Killed them all. Even some of Strogg's strongest men challenged him, and all fell to his swords."

"Most of the challengers were my brothers. Technically speaking." Zekir replied, sheathing his longsword "Thus earning my title. Zekir the Black Heart. Family didn't matter to me. It was getting my desire and keeping it. All else mattered little."

Viggo nodded, recalling a conversation he had with Strogg. The two were very similar, as far as drive and desires went. The thought easily led to his next question. "That's why you're here. You want revenge."

Zekir let a smile grow on his face. "I'm here for two reasons. Now three I guess." Gesturing to some cages on the docks, he began to explain "I am here to work out a deal with you. I want to stock our arena with dragons. It's a pass time we enjoy, and we haven't had enough dragon raids to keep it full. That's why I want to buy some of your dragons and talk about starting a potential supply line."

"I'd love to talk to you about that." Viggo replied, smiling at the thought of making more money and expanding his reputation as a dragon hunter and trader.

"Second, is as you said; revenge." He continued to say, grabbing his cup and drinking the last of his wine "I want to ask what you know about this Ukiah. I'm not seeking him out like Strogg did, as that was his undoing. But I do plan on making a statement. I can kill him. And I will not fall to the last Crevite."

Viggo nodded, understanding that it was more of a statement, and less of an honor issue.

"Unfortunately, I never met this Ukiah. Let alone seen him. Last I heard of his whereabouts was when he killed Strogg. After that, I have no idea where he went."

"He was banished by his friends." Ugo began to recount "That much we know. He could be still wandering. Maybe even took residence in a new village."

Zekir just nodded, thinking of the obstacle he had in tracking Ukiah down.

"What's yer third reason?" Ryker growled, taking a large bite of his fish.

His smile growing larger, Zekir looked up at Darien and answered "To get to know her."

Darien's face went beet red. Looking away from him, she just fidgeted in her seat, doing anything to make the awkward feeling go away.

"If you're willing, I'd like you to show me some of your rarest dragons." Zekir continued to say, knowing he embarrassed her. Reaching, he gently rested his hand on hers "Maybe you can tell me about how you lost your finger."

"She'd love to." Viggo replied with a smile, catching both Zekir and Darien off guard "You can show him Banshee, Darien."

"Banshee?" Zekir asked, raising an eyebrow at the subject.

"Uh…ye-yeah." She stammered, silently wishing she was wearing something better than her sweaty, frayed tunic. A guy, not from her world, was hitting on her! And Viggo wasn't helping. Glancing at Zekir, and seeing his smiling demeanor, she couldn't help but admit to herself that she kind of liked him too. Shaking her head to get back into the conversation, she quickly explained "Banshee is a Flightmare. And my dragon."

"What do you mean, your dragon?" Zekir followed up with, squaring up to her with sincere interest.

"Uh, as in I ride him." She spluttered, not really knowing how to deal with the sudden attention. Leading men to battle, even fighting against any of the dragon riders, she had no problem. Talking to Zekir though, made her lose her confidence. Even with her new promotion.

"You ride a dragon…" Zekir repeated in disbelief. Turning to Ugo, he then commented "I guess you're right. There are dragon riders here!"

"Aye, and Darien's apparently the only one on our side." Ugo confirmed, smiling at Darien "I have to say, it's incredible seeing the difference in you, Darien. I remember when you were barely loud enough to be heard whenever we sat down to talk as allies. Or when we made you slave away on our ship when we took you on board."

"We'll, couldn't be idle, could I?" She replied, still blushing at Zekir.

"Come. Show me your dragon." Zekir called out, standing up from his seat. Gently taking her hand, he then added "Perhaps you can tell me what my father and Ugo made you do. I promise to make restitution to you."

Blushing, Darien turned and began to walk alongside Zekir.

Viggo, Ryker, and Ugo watched the two walk off the ship and deeper into the island, with Zekir asking her questions.

"Viggo, I'll talk to you about working a deal about supplying us with dragons." Ugo said aloud, shaking his head at his chief "I think your little Darien slayed his heart. I didn't think the Black Heart could show the care and desire he's showing now."

"She is special." Viggo replied with a smile. Turning to Ugo, he then moved his plate out of way "Alright Ugo, let's see how both of us can benefit from a trade agreement."

* * *

 _ **Hey! Hope you liked it, it was fun to write a little bit about Darien and her side of the story. Right now, I'm taking an emergency trip across the state and don't know when I'll be back. I'll try to hurry. (Not that serious of an emergency)**_

Some of you may be wondering why Darien hasn't disappeared from existence after Dagur died. Well, I have two reasons why she didn't:  
ONE: I think Dagur's still alive. Dreamworks has hinted as such for a while, and frankly, they don't just kill off a character like that in a show. Just like Alvin.  
TWO: The timeline is different because of Matt and Darien being there. Their past is different from what is actually happening. So anything that would have otherwise affected them, hasn't. Because it's a different outcome and the world is changed because of Matt and Darien. Think of it like the Star Trek movie (slight spoilers) It's be something like that.

Sachsm082, I'd love to PM you and talk about why some of your ideas wouldn't work entirely with the story, but I can't find your username to PM you. If you PM me, I'll try and get to you ASAP and after this little emergency is taken care of. I do care about the suggestions given to me by everyone, but sometimes they don't really fit into the story. Again, I'd love to chat with you, or anybody really, about them. As a few of you know, I do respond to PM's.

Thanks for the support! I'll post when I can!

-Dustnblood


	18. Chapter 18: Setting the Record Straight

**Chapter Eighteen: Setting the Record Straight**

* * *

"Hahahaha! More!" Calder shouted, tossing his mug to the bartender.

"Something's got you happy." An outcast called out, taking a seat next to the burley and drunk Viking.

"Indeed, I am! I am friend!" Calder shouted happily, seeing another mug get placed in front of him "I have an invitation to the Grimborn's auction!"

The muggy, run down mead hall was full of all sorts of undesirables. Mainly Outcasts, rebels, pirate raiders, and even some small-time dragon hunters. The small island harbored a dock and a few buildings, including a blacksmith shop, a general trading post, and the small mead hall; allowing crews to resupply and recharge from the taxing labor of sailing and raiding. Calder was one of the few that was a regular, being a dock worker. Worker being used in the broadest term.

Suddenly, the door to the hall blew open. Every outlaw, hunter, and outcast turned to see a lone figure stand in the doorway. The figure wore a black, tattered cloak and hood. His shaded eyes burned with anger and even hate. He looked ruthless. He wore a crossbow strapped to his chest, in a position to be used at any given moment if needed. Taking his time, the figure glanced between every patron, as if reading them to himself.

"Can I help you?" The bartender asked, raising an eyebrow at the stranger.

The stranger didn't say anything. Scanning the room, he then slowly closed the door and walked to the bar, taking a seat right in front of the bartender. "One mug of mead." He replied in a cold, hoarse whisper. His eyes were black, showing no emotion or even life in them.

"Aye, here ya' go." The bartender replied, grabbing a mug and pouring a bottle's contents in it "Five gold coins. Up front. This ain't a charity."

"I'll pay ya', when I pay ya'." The stranger whispered quietly, glaring at the bartender.

Seeing the stranger's murderous look, the bartender slowly shrank back. "Just make sure you pay up before you leave." He growled, going back to cleaning some mugs.

As the stranger relaxed on his seat, everyone returned to their cares, slowly building the noise back up.

The stranger just sat there, sipping his drink. Not looking at anything in particular, he just listened to his surroundings.

"So, the Grimborn auction?" The outcast began to say, turning his attention to Calder "What's on the block this time? Ships? Weapons? Hoooh…I hope it's their ships. Those are supposedly indestructible."

"Hah! Not even close! This auction is the first of its kind!" Calder laughed, using his loud voice "Dragons!"

"Dragons?" The outcast replied in astonishment.

"Aye! Imagine what you could do with one of them?" Calder called out, finally settling down "You can keep it as a trophy! Or as a slave beast! Its hide alone would be worth a lot! Enough to buy one of those fancy ships! And only the richest of Vikings are allowed in."

"How did you get your invitation then?" The outcast exclaimed, looking at Calder skeptically "You drink all your gold and valuables away."

"I got it from a gold baron." Calder replied, pulling out a map that acted as the invitation "Told him I'd let him live if he gave it to me." Looking at the outcast with a smug expression, he added "Idiot."

The outcast laughed, shaking his head at the foolish baron.

"Now, all I have to do is show up with my newly acquired treasure, and I got myself a couple of dragons!" Calder laughed, taking another drink from his mug.

Thiiiunk!

A force smashed the mug out of his hand. Calder stared in shock as he saw the tail end of a crossbow bolt stick into his cup. Whirling around, he saw the stranger standing up and staring at him with his black eyes.

"The invitation. Give it to me now." He growled, narrowing his eyes "That's your only warning. Which is lucky for you. I missed your head."

"Heh, you must be mad to knock my drink out of my hand." Calder called out, laughing at the stranger. Standing up from his seat, he then lauded "Listen here, idiot. No one makes demands to ol' Calder. They usually die a quick death. But I'll make an exception since you're new here. Buy me two drinks, and I might not throw you out. Three if you want to keep your teeth."

"Wrong answer. You're a dead man." The stranger whispered coldly. Pulling back on his crossbow's mechanism, he then ordered "Give me the paper and I won't take your eye. I'll make your funeral an open casket. Since your drunk behavior, thieving cowardness, and idle threats make you unworthy to go to Valhalla."

Calder watched as the stranger's crossbow seemingly magically reloaded itself. Scowling at the threat, Calder drew his axe and tested the blade. "If you want it. Then come an-"

Too late to finish his saying, a bolt flew through the air and into Calder's eye. Everyone who watched, gasped as the bolt sunk itself in Calder up to the feathers. Calder launched back at the force and surprise of the hit. Crashing into the table behind him, he just lay there without a groan.

The stranger walked up to the Viking he just killed. Grabbing the map acting as an invitation, he quickly pocketed it and turned to leave. Walking past the stunned men, he stopped at the bartender. Pointing to where Calder lay, he growled "He'll pay for my drink. He's got plenty of gold he stole from the person he murdered." At that, he threw the door open and slammed it behind him.

The men glanced back at Calder and the door. "He just killed Calder!" An outcast shouted "And we just let him walk out?!"

"Not on me watch!" Another cried out, drawing his hammer and running out the door. A small group of men burst through the door, expecting to see the stranger just a little bit away from them. To their shock, he was nowhere to be seen.

"What in Odin's beard? Where did he go?" One of the outcasts huffed, confused at the absence of the stranger. Walking to the edge of the cliff overlooking the docks below, he lurched backwards with a bolt sticking out of his chest.

"That's for trying to follow me!" The stranger shouted, rising into view.

The men gasped as the stranger rode on the back of a black and brown dragon, layered with spikes! One they never saw before!

At that, the dragon roared and flew into the foggy sky above, leaving the bewildered men staring into the fog with wide eyes, unsure of what they actually saw.

High above the fog the stranger and his dragon leveled out. Pulling off his hood, Ukiah ruffled his hair. His eyes slowly began to regain color, evidence that he was calming down and returning to normal.

"Any luck?" Hiccup asked, guiding Toothless alongside Arrow.

Ukiah pulled out the map and wave it at Hiccup "Right here. It's an invitation with a map on it."

"Let me see it." Hiccup grunted, gliding closer to Ukiah and reaching for it.

Ukiah handed the map to him. Watching him study it, he looked up to see Matt gliding Wasatch just overhead. Frowning, he guided Arrow up to fly alongside him.

"No hiccups?" Matt asked, looking at Ukiah with a solemn expression.

"Not really. Had to…get rough to get the map. But nothing that I wasn't expecting." Ukiah replied, shrugging his shoulders. Looking at Matt warily, he then asked "How are you doing?"

"I'll be better once we have an idea of where to go." He quickly replied, turning away from Ukiah and looking forward.

"Matt, we'll get her back. I promise you." Ukiah tried to console, only to be interrupted.

"Don't promise me something that you can't guarantee." Matt growled "I heard Darien clearly. She took Heather to get even with her, for what Windshear did to Banshee. She took her to kill her."

Ukiah's face frowned, knowing Matt was beating himself up. That, and he truly believed that he and Heather wanted to be together, and wouldn't listen to anything he said to try and convince him.

"Right now, my only hope is to find her at least breathing." Matt grunted, his eyes narrowing "For your sake. And also taking a shot at Viggo and Darien. I want to cut them in half for doing this to us."

Ukiah shook his head, looking at Matt sadly "Matt, we need to talk. Whatever you think happened between me and Heather, it's the wrong impression."

"I get that you were just trying to help me by comforting her, Ukiah." Matt quickly replied, pulling up his snowboard goggles "But I saw how happy she was with you. I want her to be with you." Facing him, he then said "But let's get her first, if she's still alive. Then we'll talk."

Before Ukiah could say anything, Hiccup shouted "I got it! Follow me! Let's see what kind of defenses they have on this island!" At that, Toothless surged forward, leaving the two behind.

Ukiah watched as Matt chased after Hiccup. Shaking his head, he then whispered "You have no idea how wrong you are, Matt. You have no idea."

* * *

"Keep that beast tied down!" Darien shouted, running to a cage with a waking Catastrophic Quaken. Reaching for a chain, she pulled on it to try and keep the dragon contained. Other hunters did the same, pulling with their might to keep the dragon from breaking the cage.

The Quaken roared angrily, its split open mouth baring its many teeth. Fighting the chains, it let out a challenging roar and bit at the cage door.

"No!" Darien shouted, seeing it crunch the door with ease. The massive dragon was the hardest to contain, as it was immune to dragon root arrows, and its sheer strength was often more than what a standard cage could hold. "Prepare the nets! I want two layers on it if it gets through the door!" She ordered, still pulling on the chain.

Too late! The Quaken lunged forward with a burst of energy. The chains couldn't hold it as it broke out into the open. Roaring, it head-butted a hunter and went to turn onto Darien; being closest to it.

Gritting her teeth, she prepared herself to roll past the charging dragon.

"Rooooaarrrr!" A screech sounded above her.

Gasping, Darien watched as a mist rained down on the Quaken, freezing the raging dragon in place. Looking up, she saw Banshee flip in the air and dive straight towards her. "Bansh! You're doing better!" She cried out, falling to her knees as the Flightmare landed in front of her.

Banshee cooed as he rammed his head into Darien's chest, rubbing against her with extra energy.

"Darien? Are you ok?" A voice called out, making the two turn to see Viggo and Zekir running towards her. Zekir looked extra worried, and had his broadsword drawn and ready to take the dragon's life.

"Never been better!" She laughed, turning back to Banshee. Rubbing his head with extra energy, she replied "Bansh is back, and we stopped the Quaken from escaping. All's well."

Viggo let a smile grown on his face. She was indeed invaluable.

"Are you sure, Darien?" Zekir asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her up onto her feet.

"I'm fine." She replied, smirking at him "Bansh stopped the dragon from getting close to me." Turning to the hunters standing around the dragon, she ordered "Net the beast up and put it in a gas cell in case we need to pacify it again. Keep a guard on it at all times! It can't be left alone!"

"Yes, Darien!" The men shouted, running to grab the nets.

"Darien, I've told you once and I'll tell you again." Viggo began to say "You're the best decision I've ever made. You certainly have made my life easier."

"I know." She replied with an arrogant smile, dusting herself off.

Zekir smiled as he watched her. He didn't know why she stood out to him so much, maybe it was the rough, gritty work she did, and was good at. Or it was because she was similar to his circumstance. Young, full of energy and desire, fighting against the odds. It was definitely how she looked, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered with her. There was something special about her. A glow. And it wasn't because of Banshee standing next to her.

"Now, Ryker's being placed in charge of security." Viggo began to say, guiding Darien to walk with him "While he's busy with that, we're going to have a talk with Heather."

"Heather?" Zekir commented, walking and following Viggo and Darien "Who's that?"

"Someone that's been a thorn in our side." Viggo growled, scowling at the subject.

"She's the one that injured Banshee." Darien added, looking at Zekir with anger and hate "The only reason why I haven't killed her, is because Viggo didn't want me to."

Zekir nodded, understanding how Darien felt about her dragon. Looking at Viggo, he asked "So what are you wanting to talk to her about?"

Viggo just smiled, knowing that Zekir wanted to be involved with Darien. He then began to explain his thoughts in a way that Darien would only understand "I need to start twisting her against her friends. Honestly, this is just to see how resilient she'll be, and if she's not going to be too difficult, I'll use her right away."

Darien just nodded, knowing he was trying to make her betray Hiccup and his gang. Frowning, she thought of something that might throw a wrench in Viggo's plans.

Zekir saw it and asked "What's going on, Darien? What're you thinking?"

Following Viggo down a cave, leading to all the dragon cells below, she commented "Just thinking of one possible reason why she won't bend or break to us."

Viggo turned to face her, still walking down the stairs and down the hallway. Raising an eyebrow, he asked "What would that be?"

Hesitant to say it, she then reluctantly explained "What does she have to lose? I killed Matt, one of his Skrills, and her dragon, Windshear. She has really nothing else and won't budge an inch." Looking at Viggo with concern, she asked "What do you plan to hold against her? And is it close enough to her that would make her want to betray her friends?"

Viggo stopped, thinking about what she was saying. Furrowing his eyes, he just stared at Heather's cell at the end of the hallway.

Zekir also thought about what Darien said. Seeing Viggo's studious expression and Darien's crestfallen face, a thought came to his mind. "I don't know her, nor exactly what you did to her, but it sounds like she won't be phased by death threats."

"I imagine that death would be a blessing to her." Darien huffed, shaking her head at the thought "I killed her dragon and the guy she loved."

Still thinking, he then asked "I understand that it's your plan and your prisoner, but I may have a solution to your problem."

Viggo looked at him with a slightly surprised expression. He was nothing like Strogg, who looked out only for himself and his men. "What's your plan?" He asked curiously.

Darien also looked at him with a curious grin.

"Viggo, follow my lead. I'll put you in a great position to…persuade her." Zekir announced with a wide smile. Gesturing for Viggo to lead the way, he added "Take me to her."

Deciding to use this as a test for Zekir, Viggo turned and walked to Heather's cell. Looking at the two hunters standing outside of her cell, he ordered "Open it."

The hunters quickly unlocked the door and opened it for the three. Zekir followed Darien in and finally saw the girl apparently named Heather.

Her black hair was a mess, and the cuts on her face and arm were now dried, with the dried blood all over. Her eye was still swollen, but shrunk enough for her to open it as she did so. Her green eyes tried to pierce Darien's eyes. She hated her! Not for torturing and beating on her, but for letting Matt, Wasatch, and Windshear drown!

"Grrmppph!" She growled, finally having enough strength to painfully sit up. Leaning against the cell's wall, she looked up at the new person accompanying Viggo and Darien. She tried to stare her new visitor down, though she knew it wouldn't do anything.

"This is her?" Zekir asked aloud, walking past Darien and kneeling down at her. His eyes locked onto hers, who was still glaring at him with a piercing green fire.

Viggo instantly picked up on what Zekir was doing. "Aye, this is her. She has lots of energy, a bit of a fighter, but nothing that can't be conquered."

"Mmph?" She grunted, whipping her head to Viggo.

"She's not a bad looker, soft on the eyes." Zekir continued to say "She'd be a great server. Or even a hand maid." Gently, he reached up and stroked her cut cheek.

"Urrmph!" She barked, jerking her head back and pushing herself away from him.

"She's got some nasty cuts though." He observed, standing up and still looking down at her "Those aren't permanent, are they? Even if I make her a servant, I want to have her to be perfect."

"Grrmp!" She tried to shout into her gag, realizing that he was looking at her as a slave. Twisting her arms, she fruitlessly tried to fight the ropes wrapped around her wrists and chest, only to have her body ache with soreness and sharp pain where she was cut.

"She'll heal. It was just…disciplinary beatings on her. Unfortunately, I haven't decided if I want to sell her." Viggo began to say "I have an idea for her. I just don't know how she'll react."

The person looking at buying her then frowned. "How about you ask her now? If you don't think she'll work for you, I'll take her. One hundred gold coins. Twenty less because of the cuts and bruises."

Heather glared at him with a fire in her eyes. Twisting her arms, she wished she could break the kid's nose.

"I guess we can do that." Viggo replied, looking at Darien. Gesturing to Heather, he nodded as he sent a silent order.

Darien then kneeled down and pulled the gag off, letting it hang around her neck. Dried blood had trickled around the corner of her mouth, showing that she was more than just beat on. Glaring at Viggo, she hissed "I know what you want. I'm not turning on Hiccup. I'm not doing anything for you."

"Hiccup?" Zekir asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Darien "Is that the kid that-"

"I'll explain later." She huffed, rolling her eyes.

Viggo shook his head. Kneeling down in front of her, he growled "Think carefully on your choice, Heather. Chief Zekir here wants you. And I've always been partial to a sack of gold."

"Then I guess you're going to get richer." Heather spat. Looking up at Darien, she growled "She took everything I ever cared about. I've just come to expect that I'm going to be alone the rest of my life. With people like you taking everything that I value. Matt, Windshear, any home that I find, and my friends and family!" Looking up at Zekir, she growled "I don't care what you do to me. Sell me. Torture me. Kill me. I won't give you what you want."

"Do you really think Hiccup and the others care about you the same way Matt did?" Darien asked, stepping up to her. Looking down at her captive, she then suggested "You betrayed him, Astrid, the others three times!"

Heather's eyes narrowed and began to have a fire burn in them. "Shut up. You don't even know what happened when I joined up with Hiccup."

"Maybe the only reason they tolerated you, was because of Matt." Darien continued to laud over her, smiling that she got an outburst from her "Now that he's dead, and you not being able to protect him, what makes you think that they want you back? As far as you know, they think that you're already working with us."

"I said shut up!" Heather roared as loud as she could, sitting up on her knees. Glaring at Darien, she shouted "You don't get it! I know you're trying to twist me into your plan! Whatever the reason why you want me to betray Hiccup and the others, it won't happen! Not with me at least! What you don't get, is that Hiccup was the one that took me in after I betrayed them last time! Matt was the one that wanted to slit my throat!"

Darien and Viggo just stared at her, realizing that the hope they had in trying to turn her was quickly shot away.

Ignoring her aching body, she then roared "I earned his trust! And even after you killed him, I'll never do anything that'll betray my memory of him!" She roared, kneeling up straight to Darien. Her blood was boiling. Her anger was past the point that she didn't care what happened to her! She could be dragged to Helheim for all she cared!

Viggo and Darien glanced at each other. Seeing Viggo frown and slightly shake his head at her, she marched up behind her and pulled the gag back into her mouth, cleave gagging her a second time. "Then you're going to be a slave the rest of your life. Enjoy that memory of Matt, that's the only thing you're going to have."

"Mmmphh!" She grunted as Darien pulled it back painfully.

Grabbing her, Darien then threw her onto the floor.

Heather crashed onto the ground, shutting her eyes in pain as she tried to cope with it. The cut on her bicep opened up slightly, letting a small trickle of blood run down her arm and ragged tunic.

"Chief Zekir." Viggo said aloud, scowling at Heather "I'll sell her for one hundred gold coins, and she's all yours."

Zekir nodded, staring at her. "Deal. I'll take her with me after the auction."

Heather opened her eyes and glared at Zekir, wishing she could do anything to vent the anger and hate running through her.

At that, the three turned and walked out, with Darien slamming the cell door shut. Seeing the two hunter guards watch her through the cell door, she reluctantly closed her eyes and tried to sit up. Her fate was sealed. She was a slave. Shaking her head, she reluctantly went into the memories of Matt. How could she have been so short with him? Why didn't she try harder to tell him that she loved him? Feeling a tear roll down her cut cheek, she continued to think of Matt as she let the time pass.

* * *

Astrid watched from the clubhouse as Hiccup, Matt, and Ukiah flew into view. Her face hardened as she saw Matt land at the hanger and dismounted from Wasatch. She noticed him refusing to go into his room as much as he could. She guessed it was because of what it reminded him. Seeing Hiccup grab Matt by the shoulder, he gestured to the clubhouse. Reluctantly, Matt nodded and followed him and Ukiah. Seeing them walk in, she then asked "So, any luck on finding out where this auction is?"

"Got a map." Hiccup said aloud, setting it down on the central fire place. Staring down at it, he explained "We did a quick recon mission on the island. It's not looking easy."

"You can say that again." Matt huffed quietly, leaning against the door frame of the clubhouse.

"We saw extra ships on the perimeter of the island." Hiccup began to list, staring at the map intensely "Guards everywhere. Each cage had at least two. Catapults and watchtowers on the cliffs. Dragon Root launchers on every sea stack within a half mile."

Astrid looked at Hiccup with surprise, commenting "How did you guys get to see all these defenses?"

"Arrow swims. They're looking for dragons in the sky, not the water." Ukiah answered for him, shrugging at the question "Besides that, Hiccup was watching them from above the clouds with his telescope."

"Regardless, we can see it whenever we want." Hiccup began to say, taking over the conversation again "It's going to be impossible to get in or out. Period."

"Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup. Think positive!" Tuffnut began to say, smiling at Hiccup.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Hiccup growled sarcastically, glaring at Tuffnut.

"Rapid-fire! Mug half empty or half full?" He asked, looking excited at the question.

"Definitely empty." Hiccup groaned, looking at him in annoyance. Turning back to the map, he continued to say "It is, however, a perfect opportunity to put a big dent in Viggo's dragon trade." Looking around the clubhouse at everyone, he added "Which is why I'm open to suggestions."

"I don't want to put a dent in Viggo's operations!" Matt suddenly barked out, catching everyone off guard "I want to kill that sunava bitch! If Heather is still alive, he's going to know where she is! Hell, she might be on that island! If not, then I'm one step closer to Darian and ripping her throat out!"

Everyone just stared at him, knowing that he was actually holding back his anger.

"Matt, let's have our talk." Ukiah said aloud, walking and grabbing his shoulder "Right now."

Matt tried to shake off the hand, but was surprised that Ukiah refused to let go. Looking at him in the eyes, he let out a sigh and nodded "Fine, let's get it over with."

"We'll be right back, Hiccup." Ukiah announced, walking alongside Matt. Guiding him down the ramp that led to the bay below, he then asked "Do you think Viggo would let Darien kill Heather?"

"Great topic to start off with." Matt huffed sarcastically.

"Stay with me, do you think he would kill her? Or let her die?" Ukiah asked, watching Matt carefully.

"Honestly, I don't know." Matt growled, shaking his head "Given his past experience with us, and with what Astrid went through when he had her, I'd say no. But it's Darien that has her. And she was angry."

"Matt, stop living like she's already dead." Ukiah growled, getting fed up with Matt's attitude "Ever since Dagur came, you've been nothing but a whiner and a self-loathing babe! You're being worse than Snotlout!"

"You know what, Ukiah? I am complaining a lot!" Matt barked, stopping on the ramp just before getting to the beach. Making eye contact with Ukiah, he then shouted "I betrayed her! I got her captured! And now she's either getting tortured or being killed! If she's not dead already!" Gesturing to Ukiah, he shouted "Besides that, it's something that you should be worried about too! You love her! She's better off with you any how! If I'm angry, it's because I failed in being anyone decent to her!"

"Matt! There was nothing going on between us! I promise!" Ukiah shouted back "She wants you. She doesn't have any feelings towards me! You've been more of a man than I ever would be for her!"

"Right. Just the punk snowboarder that can't keep his promises straight." Matt huffed, rolling his eyes "Whose leg is slashed and is making him a gimp. The very guy who can't fight with a sword. The same dude who-"

Ukiah had enough of Matt's tantrum. Swinging his right fist as hard as he could, he swung it and connected his fist to Matt's chin with such force, that it spun him around completely.

Smack!

The strike was paralyzing! Matt's eyes dilated wildly as he started to lose focus. The hit was so fast, that he wasn't sure he was actually hit! Stumbling, he fell off the ramp and down onto the beach just below him, being a five-foot drop. Blinking, he watched Ukiah jump down after him.

"Now shut up and listen to me!" Ukiah growled while grabbing Matt's tunic, pushing him down and keeping him pinned "Listen to me very carefully! Because you clearly didn't hear anything I've told you! Heather loves you. She wants to be you. But this is more than that. This is about you and how you deal with her! Even if she is killed, are you really going to ruin your memory of her by acting this way?"

Matt just stared at Ukiah, getting his vision back.

Ignoring his dazed look, Ukiah then added angrily "You say she'll be happier with me, but you've completely forgotten how she acts and feels when she's with you. You made her happier than I ever could do for her. Whatever we did as a group, she always wanted to be with you; even when I was here. You're the one that supported her when it came to bringing me here in the first place! Are you really going to throw that all away? All those memories? All those experiences? Just because you had your feelings hurt? Because you made a mistake?!" Scoffing angrily, he hefted Matt up onto his feet "If that was my case, I'd still be living away from here. Who knows? Strogg might not even be dead if I had your attitude!"

Matt just stared at Ukiah, getting chewed out by him. That, and getting some sense literally knocked into him.

"This isn't how you acted when Astrid was captured by Strogg! Or when you were hovering between life and death!" Ukiah continued to shout, getting right into Matt's face and refusing to let go of his tunic "Remember what you told me after you woke up? I do! You said who cares? Let's just get it done! If you fall, get up and move forward!"

Matt felt embarrassed. One, the way Ukiah knocked him around so easily; and two, how he was reminding him.

"That's all I'm going to say." Ukiah growled, lightly pushing Matt away and letting go "If I hear you say one more thing about either how Heather's dead, or how sorry you are, even the smallest hint of how me and her should be together, I'm going to slash your other leg! Because I'm telling you right now as a friend, if you keep this attitude, you're going to be the reason why Heather dies!"

The last comment hit Matt hard in the stomach. Looking at Ukiah, he couldn't even say anything.

"There, that's all I had to say." He growled, folding his arms and glaring at him "If you try to convince me that I'm wrong, I don't know if I can control myself next time."

"Ukiah." Matt whispered, turning to look at the ocean "I-I…I know I haven't been myself. After what I did to Heather by keeping Dagur a secret from her, I guess I haven't really saw myself as the guy you say I am." Shaking his head angrily, he then growled "I just want her to be happy. Content and safe too. I figured you were the best one to provide that to her."

"Matt! You're undermining yourself again!" Ukiah growled "You're the reason why Heather is who she is! You're the reason why she's able to be so caring to others!"

"If you say so." Matt replied quietly. Raising his hand to stop Ukiah from tearing him a new one, he quickly explained "I'll take your word for it, Ukiah. I will. As far as me and her staying together, I'll let her choose. If she really wants me, then I'll be more than happy to protect her." Then, glaring at him, he added "But if she chooses you, you have to agree. No trying to convince her that I'm the better choice. We let her decide for herself."

"I'll agree to that." Ukiah acknowledged "Though I already know the answer." Letting a small smile grow on his face, he then said "You know, it's good to hear you talk like she's still alive. It was affecting all of us. Dragons included."

Matt just looked down, frowning at the subject. He knew he was being a tool lately, he just didn't realize how much it was affecting him. "Sorry, Ukiah. I guess after you knocked some sense in me, I saw exactly what you told me." Rubbing his jaw, he winced as it was tender to the touch "Can you forgive me?"

"I already did. It's Heather that's depending on you now." Ukiah replied with a smile "Come on, now that we have you back with us, let's see if we can't help Hiccup come up with a plan."

"I think they may already have one." Matt pointed out while still rubbing his jaw, seeing Hiccup and Astrid running down the ramp towards them.

"We got it! We know how to get into Viggo's auction!" Hiccup shouted, running down to them "We're sending someone undercover to get up and close with Viggo!"

"What? How?" Matt asked, shocked at the claim.

Ukiah also looked surprised. "That's quite a claim coming from someone who said that we couldn't get in or out of the island just minutes ago."

"Trust me, I'm still not sold on the idea." Astrid groaned, looking grim at the prospect.

'Whatever it is, it's gotta get us close to get Heather back." Matt growled, his old, angry self coming back.

"It will. It'll actually help all of us get on the island." Hiccup replied with a smile.

"Then hit us with it." Ukiah huffed, annoyed that they still had no idea what Hiccup's plan was.

"We're sending Snotlout in undercover to infiltrate the auction." Hiccup began to say, only to be cut off by Matt.

"What?!" He shouted, eyes bulging at the suggestion "Hiccup! This is Heather's life we're talking about! Never mind the countless dragons Viggo has!"

"Hear me out!" Hiccup pleaded "He's the only one that wasn't captured by Viggo or Ryker! They don't know him!"

"Plus, he's dumb enough to not really know what's going on. He couldn't be suspected of being a spy." Astrid added, looking at Matt with a hesitant expression "It can work on paper, but even I'm still having a hesitancy on it."

Matt just shook his head, staring at Hiccup with a dumbfounded look "Are you sure about this, Hiccup? That's a big role to give him."

"I'm sure, Matt." Hiccup affirmed, trying to comfort him "We just need to go talk to my dad."

"Why?" Ukiah asked, panic suddenly rushing on his face.

"You told us yourself. Only the wealthiest of traders and individuals can enter the auction." Hiccup explained "We need to talk to my dad about getting Berk's treasure to show Viggo that Snotlout is rich."

Glancing at Ukiah, and then to Hiccup, Matt then said "For now, I'll agree. But I might have a suggestion that will calm all our minds."

"Oh? And what would that be? Send Gustav instead?" Astrid replied sarcastically, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'll tell you later. It won't matter if we don't get your dad on board with your plan." Matt explained.

"I-I think I'll wait here." Ukiah replied with a stammer "I'm still not welcom-"

"You have to come." Matt growled, glaring at Ukiah "In order to sell my suggestion to Stoick and Hiccup."

Intrigued by the mystery, Hiccup then said "In that case, let's do this. We need to leave right now."

"Right behind you, Hiccup." Matt replied, grabbing Ukiah and dragging him along "Ukiah was kind enough to knock some sense into me."

"It's good to have you back." Astrid admitted, looking back at him "Won't lie, it was worrying that you weren't yourself. It was like you didn't care about Heather."

"I'm back. And ready to do my part." Matt grunted "Though, I'm saying this right now. If we get on Viggo's island. I'm only looking for Heather. I don't care about any dragon he might have. It's Heather that I'm concerned with."

"I would be wondering what happened to you if that wasn't your demand." Hiccup replied with a smile "Don't worry, Matt. We'll get her back."

Ukiah then whispered into Matt's ear, pleading "Why do you need me? If you take me to Stoick, I'm positive that he's going to cleave me in two!"

"Because you need to face him." Matt argued, glaring at him "And honestly, I need you Ukiah. I like what Hiccup's thinking, but I need you! Not Snotlout!"

Realizing what Matt was thinking, Ukiah gasped "You want me to infiltrate Viggo's island!"

"Because you have experience doing it, and competent enough to not screw it up!" Matt explained "Just follow my lead, and I'll introduce you to Stoick. It should soften the shock of him seeing you there."

"And if it doesn't?" Ukiah asked with a worried expression.

"Well, I guess I've made mistakes before." Matt teased, smirking at Ukiah "What's the worst that could happen?"

Ukiah visibly swallowed with worry "Matt, I'm glad I was able to help you get back to your normal self, but I don't think your happy, go lucky attitude is going to save me from Stoick when he sees me."

"It saved me a few times." Matt replied with a smile. Then with somewhat of a frown, added "I need you Ukiah. You're really the only one competent enough to pull this undercover thing off. I want to get Heather back, and you're my best option."

Ukiah let out a sigh of desperation, shaking his head. "For her sake, I'll go with you. But I'm not visiting him until he knows I'm there. I'm not surprising him."

"I'll see how the cards play." Matt replied with a nod "Now let's get going. Time's a wasting."

* * *

 _ **First off, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and an amazing holiday.**_

 **Second, I'm back. I know it's been a little bit since I updated, but it being the holidays, I wasn't really pushing that hard to publish anything. I hope this was enjoyable. And I hope it's, at the very least, tolerable. I'm trying to incorporate a few of the ideas given to me, and depending on what happens in the next season of RTTE, I may be limited in what I include. I do want to include Matt into the HTTYD 2 story line somehow, it just depends on what happens. That being said, I hope these few stories are enjoyable to read! Have a great rest of the holiday!**

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


	19. Chapter 19: Sir Ulgerthorpe

**Chapter Nineteen: Sir Ulgerthorpe**

* * *

"Hahahaha! Oh my- Hahahaha!" Stoick burst out laughing.

"Ah hahahaha!" Gobber followed up with, slapping his knee with his hook for a hand.

"Oh sure! Just take Berk's entire cache of gold! Hahahaheheheh!" Stoick began to say, trying his hardest to keep a straight face. Unable to keep it, he just burst out laughing even louder.

Both Matt and Hiccup glanced at each other with an annoyed look, already seeing how well the conversation was going.

"Here! Take it all!" Gobber laughed, pushing some of the silverware at the table they were sitting at "I'm sure this will be a bonus for the auction! Oh! How about this?" At that, he placed his gold tooth on the table.

Again, Matt and Hiccup just glared at the two snickering Vikings, not saying anything. They just waited for the laughter to die down. Both their dragons, Wasatch and Toothless, were behind them, listening in on the conversation with interest.

Stoick wiped a tear from his eyes, finally starting to settle down. Then, surprisingly quick, he then glared at his two sons.

"Not funny, you two." Gobber quickly said, also frowning at them.

"If you weren't my sons, I'd have both of you locked up!" Stoick growled, shaking his head at them "Do you even have an idea with what you're suggesting?!"

"I do." Hiccup replied adamantly. Putting his hands on his hips, he then said "Viggo Grimborn is the most ruthless Viking we've come in contact with. If we don't do something to disrupt this auction, he'll make so much gold, he'll be able to build his armada of dragon-hunting ships three times over." Slamming his hands on the table, he growled "He'll have a true kingdom!"

"No, he'll be on his way to having an empire." Matt quickly added, folding his arms and staring at Stoick "He already has a lot of power. What's going to stop him from sailing out of his turf and start conquering new islands and taking the dragons living on them? Including Berk?"

"No dragon will be safe. No rider either." Hiccup continued to say, driving his point "Or Viking warrior. He will set his sights on Berk, because of how many dragons we have. We're a gold mine to him!"

Stoick just looked at the two with a methodical expression.

"Besides, it's more than that." Matt spoke up again, stepping next to Hiccup "He has Heather. Well, if they didn't kill her already. But until I know for sure, I'm going to stop this auction and learn what they did with her." Narrowing his eyes, he growled "With or without the gold or distraction."

Stoick just shook his head at Matt. Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced at where Skull Crusher lay sleeping. Letting out another exasperated sigh, he then asked "Well?"

Hiccup's and Matt's heads both perked up. "Well what?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, son, I'm assuming you didn't fly all the way here without a plan." Stoick explained, looking at his son with a mixed expression of interest and concern.

"I do actually." Hiccup replied with a smile growing on his face "If you follow me to the arena, I'll show you."

Stoick nodded, standing up and walking over to Skull Crusher.

Matt looked at Hiccup with an anxious expression "Well, he didn't say no. Yet."

"We'll just have to sell it to him." Hiccup replied, turning and climbing on Toothless, who growled happily as he did so. Raising an eyebrow to Matt, he then asked "So what's your plan? You haven't told me anything about it?"

Sighing, Matt climbed on Wasatch and strapped his feet in the bindings. "I'm waiting to see what he says about Snotlout, then I'm going to suggest someone else."

"Who?" Hiccup asked, only to freeze in place. "Wait. You're not thinking of Ukiah, are you?" He asked with a loud whisper, glancing at his dad and Gobber, still waking up Skull Crusher "That's why you made him come!"

"Who else? He's competent and still unknown to Viggo and Ryker!" Matt argued just as quietly "Besides, we need to tell your dad that he's been living with us. This is a less…threatening scene for him. At least that's my hope."

"You don't know my dad very well, do you?" Hiccup growled.

"You ready, son?" Stoick asked aloud, riding Skull Crusher to them "What are you two talking about anyways?"

"Tell you in a moment." Matt replied, suddenly having second thoughts on introducing Ukiah to Stoick.

"So, this plan. What is it?" Stoick asked, riding alongside Hiccup.

"We're going to send a special envoy." Hiccup replied, walking out of the Great Hall. Launching in the air, he saw that Skull Crusher was right alongside him, as was Wasatch, who completed a roll with Matt moving his body with him. "Basically, the envoy will act as a face and distract from us infiltrating it."

"And how are you getting there yourselves?" Stoick asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We're going to have Trader Johann deliver our dragons to Viggo." Hiccup replied simply. Seeing the quizzical look on his dad's face, he explained "He's doing this to get in favor with Viggo for guaranteed safety in his trading lanes. Toothless and Wasatch will be with us, as they're unique and easily recognizable. We'll be smuggled under the lower deck, basically in cupboards and such under the floorboards."

"Hmm…" Stoick muttered, stroking his beard "Sounds a little risky, putting your dragons in that situation. As well as yourselves. How are you going to get out?"

"As we release the dragons and fight with ours, it'll be chaos. We'll slip out when their defenses are distracted and overwhelmed by the wild dragons. On top of that, he'll have some angry customers wanting their money back." Hiccup explained, gliding down to the arena getting closer by the second.

Stoick just stared at the arena methodically. Slowly, he began to nod at the idea.

"Hey guys!" Hiccup called out, sliding off Toothless "Ready to show the chief who's the envoy?"

"Just a second Hiccup!" Fishlegs shouted, appearing from behind one of the many barriers that littered the arena.

"I am interested in who you've chosen." Stoick began to say, also dismounting from Skull Crusher "It'll be tricky going to this auction under an assumed identity."

"I know." Hiccup replied with a confident smile, stopping in front of the barricade.

"He's going to have to be smart, crafty, and quick on his feet." Stoick continued to say.

"Well, he's something." Matt muttered to himself, rolling his eyes as he stood on the other side of Stoick.

"And most importantly…" Stoick continued to say, only stop mid-sentence. Gaping in horror at the person that walked from behind the barrier. "Wh- No- you-" He began to stammer unable to put to words at what he was staring at.

Standing there with his pinky raised, Snotlout just stood there with an arrogant smirk. He was wearing a gold belt buckle, as well as a gold helmet. His hair was dyed blonde, making him clash entirely with his gold colored vest. He had two ruby rings, each on one hand. He held his head up high as he played the part of being royalty.

"Not Snotlout!" Stoick roared, finally able to speak.

"Yup, went as well as I thought it would." Matt whispered to Hiccup, glaring at him. Hiccup just looked at his dad with pursed lips and had an expression as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Stoick just glared at Snotlout as he clapped his hands. Fishlegs then pushed the twins out from the barricade, to which they growled angrily as they began to polish his boots.

Stoick then whirled around, storming out of the arena.

"Hold on, dad!" Hiccup cried out, grabbing his dad's arm "Before you shoot this down, which you have every reason in the entire archipelago that you should, there is a method to my-"

"Madness?" Stoick growled, glaring down at Hiccup with bloodshot eyes "I can see the madness, I'm having a harder time with the method."

"Listen!" Hiccup replied sheepishly "I need you to trust me on this! It's foolproof!"

"Fool, definitely got that covered." Stoick snapped, folding his arms and glaring at Hiccup "Proof? Not quite with you on that."

"That's what I've been telling him." Matt chimed in, standing next to Hiccup and looking at him with an 'I told you so' expression on his face.

"No. Absolutely not." Stoick replied, turning to walk out again "I'm sorry, Hiccup, but I can't agree to this."

Hiccup just glared at his dad, angry that he would give it shot.

"What if we chose someone else?" Matt quickly called out, stopping Stoick from leaving any farther.

"What? No!" Snotlout shouted "I'm perfect for the role!"

"The only role you're perfect for, is being a joker." Stoick growled, glaring at Snotlout. Turning to Matt, he then gruffly asked "And who would that be? And for Thor's sake, don't say Tuffnut! My mind can't take any more ridiculous ideas."

"Uh, no. Not even close to who I was thinking of." Matt replied, starting to rub the back of his head "It's…it's someone that you're not going to like. But you have to promise me to at least hear me out."

"You're sounding just like Hiccup." Stoick growled, his eyes narrowing at Matt "But, considering that he was trying to get me to trust Snotlout with Berk's gold, I'll hear you out on your suggestion."

"Well, he's exactly what you described. Smart, quick, can hold a bluff, and is competent." Matt began to explain "Honestly, he's who I wanted to begin with. But-"

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me!" Stoick growled, rubbing his head out of frustration.

Letting out a long sigh, Matt then turned to another barricade. "Ukiah! Come on out."

"No. Did you just say-" Stoick gasped, hearing the name. Looking up at the barricade, he watched as the vagabond and traitor emerged from view. Wearing his signature black chainmail and tattered cloak, he just stood there with Arrow and Sleuther standing behind him.

Stoick stood there, his eyes bulging out with bloodshot eyes. He couldn't even react. The kid he took in and defended, the one who betrayed his own son, was standing there.

Ukiah didn't even look at Stoick in the eyes. Making his dragons stay behind, he slowly walked up to him while gazing at the ground.

"You!" Stoick roared, grabbing his axe from Skull Crusher's saddle "You should have never come here!"

"Stoick, wait!" Matt shouted, bolting himself in-between him and Ukiah "Hear me out!"

"Not with that traitor!" Stoick roared, forced to stop from running over Matt "You have no idea what he betrayed! He-"

"Saved my life!" Matt roared, glaring at Stoick with a fire in his eyes "He screwed up! He messed up! So did you with Hiccup when you banished him!"

Stoick froze, glaring at Matt with a look that would scare most dragons away. In fact, it did. All the dragons in the arena backed off from the angry chieftain.

"I'm not blind to the sacrifice you made to protect him!" Matt continued to shout, glaring at Stoick "But he's been selfless in our more recent adventures, including saving Astrid from Strogg! Pulling me out of the ocean and putting my head back together! And more recently, fighting Viggo and damaging his operations!"

Stoick just looked up at Ukiah, who still refused to look at him in the eye. He looked ashamed to even be standing there in Stoick's presence. Narrowing his eyes, Stoick then growled "Fifty seven."

Ukiah flinched as he listened, turning his body away from the angry chieftain.

Confused at what the number was supposed to mean, Matt just stared at Stoick.

"Fifty seven men. Fifty seven warriors that died protecting that boy's hide." Stoick continued to growl, seeing Ukiah close his eyes in pain "My son's life was on the line when I arranged the duel between him and Strogg. Berk was at risk! Not to mention Astrid, who he almost killed, along with my son!"

Ukiah just stared at the ground, looking like he was visibly in pain with each sentence Stoick yelled.

Matt slowly withdrew, seeing how Stoick viewed Ukiah.

Pushing Matt aside, Stoick lowered his axe as he walked up to Ukiah. Ukiah made no motion to leave, but rather squared up to him, though he still couldn't look at him in the eye.

"Why did you come back? What made you think I would allow you to even set your foot on this island?" Stoick demanded, glaring down at him.

Ukiah couldn't say anything. Feeling the emotion of being hated, he could only shake his head. Choking out the words, he breathed out "I-I di- I didn't want to come." Gesturing to Matt, he replied "He made me."

"Because-" Matt tried to say only to be cut off.

"That's enough, Matt! I'm talking to Ukiah!" Stoick roared, silencing him completely "I'll talk to you about this after."

Matt shrank back, knowing he had no more pull to protect Ukiah.

"I don't care who made you come, we both know you wouldn't have if you really didn't want to." Stoick growled, returning his attention to Ukiah "Why did you come here? What were you possibly hoping for?"

Finally, using every ounce of willingness he had, Ukiah looked up at Stoick with red, tearing eyes. Trying his hardest to keep the tears from flowing, he whispered with a hoarse voice "I told you. I didn't want to come. I really didn't want to come back to see you, or anyone here." Gesturing to Matt, he then explained "I did it for Matt and Hiccup. I know words or promises won't mean a thing to you, and I haven't tried to convince you to let me back. The reason why I'm here, right now, is not to beg for forgiveness."

"Then why?! What do you want?!" Stoick roared, his voice echoing in the arena. Everything was dead quiet, watching and listening to the two converse.

Ukiah just stared at Stoick with a depressed expression. Then, looking down, mumbled something.

"What was that?" Stoick growled, not hearing what he said.

"I said to be here for my friends." Ukiah replied, getting a little louder. Looking back up at Stoick, he then growled "You might not believe me, but that's the reason why! They asked me to come, and so I did. I'm here to help find and rescue Heather. She's the reason why I felt cared for! Matt asked me to come to help, and so I did. I really didn't want to. I was contemplating on leaving so I wouldn't be in this position!" Squaring up and standing as tall as he could to the giant Viking, he yelled "I don't care if you kill me right here, right now! I know for myself that I came for the sake of others, not my own!" Gesturing to the axe in Stoick's hand, he growled "If you want to end me, then do it! I'm here and ready to accept my fate as a traitor to you and Berk. But know this! I'm here to help, that's all! No secondary motives, no intentions to be forgiven, just the fact that I want to help!"

Stoick just glared at the Crevite. Even though he hated him for almost killing Astrid and Hiccup, and betraying Berk for what they did for him; he knew Ukiah was one of his word and was honest. "You…you remembered the cost it took to protect you from Strogg?" He asked, glaring at him.

"Fifty seven souls. Almost your own son, Astrid Hofferson, the other dragon riders, and Berk itself." He began to recount, returning to look away from Stoick's intense stare "Not to mention the risk you took when you stole me from Strogg in the first place. You took me away from that arena, saving me and Arrow from certain death. Trust me when I say this. There isn't a day I'm not haunted by what you did for me. It was the biggest reason why it took me so long to comeback to Hiccup back at Dragon's Edge." Looking over at Matt and Hiccup, he whispered "But him, Astrid, Matt, Heather, the twins, Snotlout, and Fishlegs are the reason why I stayed. Why I want to help them."

Stoick could only stare at Ukiah. Matt and Hiccup held their breath, unsure of what he was thinking. Then, to everyone's relief, Stoick let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. "Ukiah, for Hiccup's and Matt's sake; including Heather's, I'm going to entrust you with Berk's gold."

Hiccup gasped, not believing what he was hearing. Matt did everything he could to control himself from shouting out in joy, glad that Stoick accepted Ukiah as the envoy.

"However, I'm not lifting your banishment. Not yet at least." Stoick continued to say "I need to the think about that a little more. And I'm not just giving you the gold. You're going to be accompanied by Gobber, to help safeguard it."

Ukiah nodded in understanding, still looking at him in surprise.

Turning to Matt, Stoick then growled "Matt, help him get dressed for the part. And make sure it's nothing as ridiculous as Snotlout's."

"Sure thing, chief." Matt replied, knowing he was walking on thin ice with him. Walking up to Ukiah, he then grabbed him and pulled him behind Snotlout's barricade, who was looking like he was ready to explode for being replaced.

"Thanks, dad." Hiccup whispered, watching the rest of the gang help Ukiah change.

"Hiccup, as I said to Ukiah, I did this for yours and Matt's sake. Not his." Stoick replied quietly, turning to look down at his son "I'm not ready to accept Ukiah again. Not yet at least."

"I get it dad. I do. It took Astrid a couple of months to get used to the idea of him being back." Hiccup admitted, watching her size up a new cloak to Ukiah "Whatever you choose to do with him, I'll respect it."

"If I choose to sentence him to death, I'll only do it if he sets foot on Berk again." Stoick growled quietly, making Hiccup turn to look at him in surprise.

"Wo-would you do that?" Hiccup asked, shocked at the thought of Ukiah being executed.

"He betrayed Berk, Hiccup." Stoick whispered coldly "He may have helped you, and he may be trying to change, but what he does cannot excuse what he did. He will receive a fair trial, just like Murky."

Hiccup shuddered, remembering Murky. The one that betrayed Berk to Strogg and the Thariin army, found out by himself, Astrid, and Ukiah. After the war, he was sentenced to death for his treason.

"But don't worry about this right now. Focus on stopping this auction and hurting Viggo Grimborn's operations. But more importantly, make you all get out safe." Stoick quickly changed the subject "Remember that I'm entrusting Berk's entire cache to you."

"Sure thing, dad. I won't let anything happen to it." Hiccup acknowledged "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Walking to help the others prepare Ukiah, he then said to his dad "I hope you see him for more than the traitor he became. Took me a bit to see that. But I know you can too, if you want to."

Stoick just nodded, watching Hiccup turn to leave him. Staring at Ukiah who was trying to protest from getting stripped from his black chainmail. Narrowing his eyes, he just glared at the one he swore to protect, debating if he was indeed worthy of death.

* * *

"Ugh. I hate this…" Ukiah growled, glancing down at himself.

"Aye, gold never looked good on any one. In my opinion." Gobber replied with a smirk, turning to look at Ukiah. Then with a smirk, joked "Except yourself, lad."

The warrior was dressed similarly to how he usually styled himself, though with subtle differences. His black, tattered cloak was replaced with a new one, trimmed with gold. The black cloak had an enigma of a sword being run through a dragon stitched to the back, based off of one of Berk's old tapestries. His rusting chainmail was also replaced with a new one, shinier and refreshed. The black was darker than his old chainmail, given that it was just made by Gobber himself. He had two gold arm plates, helping signify his supposed 'wealth'. Unfortunately, Snotlout was adamant that he dye his hair blonde, given that was what royalty usually had. His otherwise midnight black hair, was now a bright gold, almost yellow color. The first time he saw himself, he about beat the life out Snotlout for suggesting such a thing. But what he hated the most, was that he couldn't have his crossbow. Though it was stowed on the Arrow's saddle, who was swimming behind their ship, he felt defenseless without it. Out of habit, he touched the hilt of his new Gronckle Iron dagger. At least he had that.

"The things I'll do for friends." He growled, shaking his head as he continued to look over himself "And the name? After all this scheming and plotting, Hiccup could only come up with the name, Sir Ulgerthorpe?! Really? It doesn't even flow off the tongue!"

"Been awhile since you've been part of his plans, hasn't it?" Gobber asked, turning to see the island with Viggo's auction come closer.

"I guess so. At least on something this big." Ukiah huffed, running his hand over his single braid that hung down the left side of his head and behind his ear.

Gobber just focused on the island coming up. Passing a rock pillar, he looked up to see the top of the pillar fortified with a ballista launcher. "Hiccup wasn't kidding, was he? The security around here is pretty serious."

"It gets worse the further we go in." Ukiah huffed, messing with his gold plated belt with disgust. Loosening it slightly, he turned to see Trader Johann's ship behind them, though in the far distance. "Looks like the others are right on time."

"Aye, just hope Johann can sell the fact that he's legitimately giving Viggo dragons." Gobber growled, his eyes narrowing as the dock came into view "I'm not worried about you and your role, Ukiah. It's just…Johann tends to flaunt a little. I don't want him to be the reason Hiccup and the others are discovered."

Ukiah just nodded, also staring at the dock. Some men were preparing to receive their ship, scrambling around and grabbing some ropes. Thinking about what Gobber just said, he then asked "Are you worried about me in general? You know, with what I did?"

Gobber took a deep breath. Thinking about the question, he finally let out a long sigh. Shaking his head, he turned to Ukiah and replied "Ukiah, I'm going to let you in on a little secret." At that, he walked over to the ships helm and began to guide the ship to be docked "I'll support Stoick all my life. He's earned that from me."

Ukiah just nodded, knowing Gobber would always be faithful to his chief and best friend.

"But so has Hiccup." Gobber continued, letting the dock workers begin to lash the ship to the dock "And if he trusts you, so will I."

Ukiah just stared at Gobber, surprised to hear him say that.

Smiling, Gobber grabbed the chest of Berk's gold and shoved it into Ukiah's arms. "Now, get your head together and play your part. Everyone's depending on you. Myself included."

Shaking his head, Ukiah let out a long sigh. Clutching the chest with one arm, he then pulled up his cloak's hood and laid over his head. "Better give me an introduction, if I want to stand out to Viggo."

"Already on it, lad." Gobber whispered back, grunting as he picked up the gangway.

Ukiah turned to see Arrow poking his head out of the water, to which he whispered "Stay near the ship, Arrow. I'll call you if I need ya', ok?"

Arrow growled in acknowledgement, to which he simply slipped under the surface.

Grunting, Gobber finally set the gang plank down onto the dock, he the shouted "Hear ye! Hear ye! The honorable…uh…Sir Ulgerthorpe!"

Ukiah swallowed as he stood on the gangway and began to walk onto the docks. Several bidders and hunters stared at him, some with wide eyes. Apparently, showing one's wealth wasn't too common of a practice.

Walking down the dock, he ignored the hunters that stood as guards. It was hard not to think of ways to dispatch of them, but he had to focus on selling himself as a wealthy, stuck-up, dragon bidder. Seeing two guards whisper to each other and point at him and Gobber, he saw a way to sell his act. Grabbing two gold coins from his pants, he tossed them to the two hunters. "Get yourself a new axe. And you? Get a new tunic."

The hunters stared at him in bewilderment, shocked at the generosity.

Flashing a cocky smile at them, he then began to resume his walk up the dock. Then he saw them. The two leaders of the dragon hunters. Viggo and Ryker Grimborn. The two stood at the top of the pathway, staring at him and Gobber with intrigued and confused expressions. Ryker then whispered something to Viggo, to which Viggo only nodded.

Marching up the pathway, Ukiah smiled as he parked just feet away to them.

Raising an eyebrow, Viggo then asked "Sir…uh, what was your name again?"

"Ulgerthorpe." Ukiah replied with a sincere smile, though he really wanted to tear out the man's throat.

"Hmm…never heard of you, or your name before." Viggo replied with a flat tone. Ryker also had an eyebrow raised, unsure of what to think` of the bidder standing in front of him.

"Does it matter?" Ukiah replied with a mocking tone. Swinging the chest around, he opened it up and flashed its contents to Viggo. Both Viggo's and Ryker's eyes lit up as the gold seemed to radiate a light. It was exactly what Ukiah needed to show them. Closing the chest and walking past Viggo, he then asked "So, where can I get something to eat around here?"

"One moment." Viggo called out, grabbing Ukiah by his arm and stopping him from walking away "I might not have heard of you, but perhaps we have some mutual friends. Have you heard of a Hiccup Haddock?"

Ukiah looked at him in surprise, shocked that Viggo would ask exactly what he wasn't prepared for.

Ryker saw his hesitancy, to which he butted in-between him and Viggo. "My brother asked you a question! Do you know a Hiccup Haddock?" He growled, getting his face right into Ukiah's.

Ukiah felt the strongest urge pull at him to deck Ryker in the throat. He knew he could kill him right there if he wanted to. Swallowing to control his anger and impulse, rather than out of fear, he simply forced a laugh "Hiccup. Haddock?" He stammered, trying to sound like he was piecing the name together "Other than having the hiccups after lunch today, I'm afraid I have no idea who or what you're talking about."

"Aye, does it matter who he knows? What difference would it make it he had heard of this…uh…Hiccup Haddock?" Gobber spoke up, glaring at Ryker. Grabbing Ukiah and pulling him back, he then growled "You touch him again, and you'll be getting more than just answers to your questions!"

Ukiah simply brushed his chainmail shirt after being ruffed up by the two Grimborns. Every fiber in his body was wanting to end the two, though his mind was screaming at him to keep up the act. "Stand back, Gobb- uh…Gobble." He stuttered, realizing he didn't have a name for him. Getting a death glare from Gobber, he then played on the con "Apologize to them right now. And I'll have to tip them for being gracious enough not to throw us out of this auction."

Gobber just glared at Ukiah. Letting out a vented sigh, he then bowed to Viggo and Ryker "I'm sorry, I acted completely out of line. Just defending him as my leader and master."

Ryker was about to throw another insult towards the two, but was stopped by Viggo. "Brother, who are we to turn away this man's apology, and his master's money?" He asked aloud, smiling at them. Turning to Ukiah, he then said aloud with open arms "We welcome you, Sir Ungl…uh…"

"Ulgerthorpe. And thank you for the invitation." Ukiah answered for him, faking a smile of his own. Pulling out a gold coin, he tossed it to Ryker, which Viggo intercepted it for himself.

Smiling, he then bid Ukiah and Gobber to proceed "I'll have my chief lieutenant guide you to the pub that we set up. You can get something to eat there." At that, he shouted "Darien! Come here!"

"Yes, Viggo?" Darien called out, walking from behind some cages. Banshee was close behind, curious as to where she was going.

"This is Sir…oh by the gods…" He groaned, still not getting the name "Urg…a…Ulgerthorpe! He's a new bidder and is wondering where he can get something to eat. Can you take him to our pub?"

"Of course!" Darien replied smiling at Ukiah "Right this way Sir…Url…a…good sir."

"Why thank you!" Ukiah replied with a cordial smile, though he was having a hard time not letting his anger and desire take over. This was Darien. The one who kidnapped Heather! The one that possibly killed her! How could he keep calm in front of her?

Seeing him shake slightly, Darien asked "Are you alright?"

Gobber saw what was happening. Grabbing Ukiah's free arm, he then said "He's just hungry. Been awhile since we've eaten anything."

"Oh, well in that case, we better hurry!" Darien replied with a smile. Turning to guide them deeper into the island, she called out "Follow me!"

Ukiah could only stare at her and her dragon. Growling he whispered to himself "I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my friends…and you've never dealt with a Crevite before, Darien."

* * *

"Gah! What're you doing?!" Matt hissed, feeling himself get kicked in the leg.

"I'm suffocating!" Ruffnut growled back, pushing against Wasatch who growled at the twin in annoyance "It was your idea to bring Wasatch down here with us!"

"Will you guys shut up?!" Astrid hissed, glaring at the two "We're at the docks! They can hear us if we're not careful!"

Matt groaned as he tried to shift himself into a more comfortable position. Crouched on the deck with the floorboards just inches above his head, he simply let out a vented sigh. Everyone was uncomfortable. Having been stuck down here most of the trip, he was dying to stretch his legs out, even his bum leg.

Looking through the cracks of the floorboards and seeing small rays of light shine through, he thought of the plan and the risk that it ensued. If anything went wrong, this plan will end up with all of the dragon riders and their dragons delivered right to Viggo on a prison island. There could be no worse scenario. Thinking about the potential outcome, he felt someone gently rest their hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Hiccup look at him with concern.

"I'm fine, Hiccup." He quietly replied with a small smile "Just got kicked in the leg. Again."

"We'll find her, Matt. Heather's too valuable to just kill." Hiccup whispered, knowing what was really bothering him.

Sighing, Matt just looked back up through the floorboards "I know, Hiccup. I just…I'll feel better when I know for sure where she is. And to know if anything happened to her."

Hiccup was about to say something, when the sound of the hold's door being opened sounded above them.

"What the..." A voice called out above the floorboards. It was Ryker's.

Matt's blood boiled, knowing this was it. If they were discovered, the plan was a failure.

"Get Viggo. He needs to see this." Ryker ordered out loud.

"You misunderstood me, Mr. Ryker. I've simply brought an offering." Trader Johann's voice called out "I'd just as soon as offload it and be on my merry way! If it's all the same to you of course."

Yeah? Well, it's not all the same to me!" Ryker's voice shouted angrily "Get Viggo!"

Matt glanced nervously at Hiccup, realizing how risky it was with both Grimborns inspecting the tribute just above them. Everyone's dragons, excluding Toothless and Wasatch, were locked up in cages and presented as a tribute or offering to Viggo from Johann. Now with both the Grimborns coming to inspect them, the chances of their hiding spot being found out was going to triple!

"No need, big brother." Viggo's voice called out making everyone hiding freeze as they heard him.

"Mr. Grimborn! What a pleasant surprise." Johann called out with a nervous laugh.

"Down here, brother." Ryker growled, stepping down the stairs to the hold.

Matt held his breath, thinking his heart was pound through his tunic and give their position away. Through the floorboards, he could see Ryker and Viggo standing above him and inspecting the dragons.

"As I was endeavoring to explain to your brother, I wanted to present you with these dragons for your auction. As a sign of respect." Johann began to say.

Matt could see Viggo turn around. Though he couldn't really see from his angle, he suspected him to be glaring at Johann.

"And as an exchange for future safe passage in my trading lanes." Johann added, sounding defeated and timid.

Nothing. Viggo nor Ryker said anything in regards to the tribute offered to them.

Sure that Johann was either going to sent away or killed, Matt felt a slight relief as Viggo then said "Trader Johann, perhaps I've misjudged you."

Matt saw him walk up to Johann, now also directly above him.

"This is a splendid and most generous gesture." Viggo continued to say, stepping forward.

Matt froze as the floorboard slightly bent at Viggo's weight. Feeling the plank rest on his head, he froze with wide eyes, not daring to move or breathe. Astrid and Fishlegs also stared at him with wide eyes, seeing exactly what was happening.

"The downside of an old ship." Johann said aloud. Matt still refused to move or breathe. Viggo was literally standing on him "Not near the same quality and craftsmanship of the vessels in your fleet."

"Shh…" Viggo's voice hushed.

Matt stared at Astrid with wider eyes. Was Viggo onto them? How?! Suddenly, a gold coin dropped from the crack above them, falling onto the deck below.

"Uh…the trade has been a bit, shall we say, 'sluggish' lately. My stores are as empty a tree following a ring-tailed lemur migration."

"Hmm…" Viggo's voice growled, finally walking away.

Matt felt the pressure lift off his head. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned to Hiccup who simply pulled him down. Crouching even lower, he watched as Toothless quickly covered him and everyone with his black wings.

Suddenly, something sounded like it was running back down the hold. Crash! Everyone heard the floorboard above them break, as if kicked open.

Matt froze and held his breath for the third time. His heart couldn't take much more of this, and he was sure everyone else was feeling the same.

After what felt like minutes, Matt let a sigh of relief out as he heard "We accept your terms, Trader Johann. Offload Trader Johann's dragons and place them with the others!"

"Aye sir! Prepare for offload!" A voice shouted, being farther away from Viggo and Johann.

Hearing them leave, Matt slid down and laid himself out on the deck, as did Astrid. "Hoe. Lee. Shit. Hiccup. Can we please not do this again?"

"I have to agree with Matt on this one." Astrid groaned, looking over at Hiccup and Toothless "That was way too close to even think about being comfortable."

"Come on!" Hiccup huffed, pushing Toothless' wing out of the way. Climbing up the side of the deck, he poked his head out from the hole Viggo created.

"Not yet, master Hiccup!" Johann hissed "I'll let you know when you can leave! For now, please just stay put!"

Hiccup quickly withdrew back down into their hiding place. Sitting next to Matt, he then said "Once we get off, we'll go find Ukiah and Gobber, they should have the auction manifest by the time we're ready."

"Sounds good, Hiccup." Matt breathed out loud, placing his hand over his slowing heart "I'll be right here, debating if I experienced a heart attack or not."

* * *

 _ **Happy New Year! Hope 2017 treats everyone alright and that you'll accomplish your goals and reach your dreams. That's what I'm hoping for anyways for myself as well.**_

 _ **Hope you all liked the chapter. Almost done. Er, at least getting there. This story is taking longer than I expected, both in actually writing it and the plans that I have with it. Thank you all for the support!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	20. Chapter 20:Going Once, Going Twice, Gone

**Chapter Twenty: Going Once, Going Twice, Gone**

* * *

"So…that's Viggo's tent?" Ukiah whispered to Gobber, pointing at a lone tent pitched on the far end of the camp.

"Aye, that's what the guards told me." Gobber replied back, equally quiet.

The two were sitting at a table under a canopy. Several other bidders and clients were also around them, at either their own separate table, or standing and talking with each other, trying to brag their wealth. The whole scenario made Ukiah sick with anger. It was the same feeling he got when he and Hiccup were imprisoned in the dragon fighting arena.

"Two guards by it at all times." Gobber added, eyeing a small group of people "It'll be tough to get in."

"Leave that to me. I'll get that manifest for Hiccup." Ukiah replied, standing up. In a louder voice, he then said "Stay here, Gobble. I need to stretch my legs."

"Aye, sir." Gobber replied, his eyes narrowing at his name "I'll be here, watching your gold, sir."

"See that you do." Ukiah replied, looking at Gobber apologetically. Turning, he began to walk out of the designated area for the pub. Seeing where Viggo's tent was pitched, he began to walk up a path that would take him close to it. When he did, he planned on cutting off the beaten path to sneak into Viggo's tent.

Eyeing a few hunters, he gave them a nod as a cordial greeting. Walking past them, he simply kept his eye on Viggo's tent. Walking ever closer to it, he stopped a good hundred meters away. Glancing around him to check for any wandering eyes, he quickly dove off to the bushes to his right. Sliding through the shrubs and cover, he let his hunting senses kick in. He was silent and ready to take the life of anyone that would get in his way. The only difference between now and when he was hunting, was that he didn't have his crossbow.

It didn't take him long to slip past the guards stationed nearby. Kneeling down in his cover, he stared at the tent. Seeing that some of the flaps weren't tied down directly, he found his way in. Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes to his far right sounded. Ukiah instinctively drew his dagger and got lower. Staring in the direction where he heard the rustle, he was relieved to see Matt and Hiccup poke their heads out. Kneeling a little higher, he let himself get spotted by Matt.

Matt tapped on Hiccup's shoulder and pointed to him. Hiccup quickly saw him as well, to which he sent a quizzical stare at him.

"One moment." Ukiah mouthed to them, signaling them to get down.

Both Matt and Hiccup disappeared in the bush, leaving him alone. Letting out a deep breath, he finally began to crawl to the tent. Making sure the guards couldn't hear him, he slowly crawled under the tent flap. Finding himself under a table, he simply lay there and listened for anything that would signal someone was in there with him.

"I'll be honest, Viggo." A voice called out "I wasn't really in the market to by a slave. I was just trying to help you scare her."

"I know. But I need to make true with my threats and promises." Viggo's voice sounded off "If I don't, she won't be intimidated by me or you."

Ukiah froze. Who was Viggo talking to? And who were they talking about. His heart beat faster as he felt the shiver of hope that it was Heather! Peering from around a barrel, he saw two pairs of legs standing in the center of the tent.

"I know, and I'm still willing to buy her to help you." The voice replied, sounding a little annoyed "But you can at least give me a better deal. Ninety five gold coins is still pretty steep for a person that's going to be fighting me. And the small fact that it's an expense I wasn't planning on."

"…Fine…" Viggo huffed, sounding annoyed at the request "Seventy coins. I took five off for the cuts and bruises."

Ukiah's pulse quickened. If it was Heather, they definitely beat on her. If not, then it was a person that needed to be rescued.

A vented sigh was breathed from Viggo's guest. In an annoyed tone, he replied "I guess I'll have to accept. Though I'm wondering if this is how you treat friends and allies."

"Only with the utmost respect and courtesy." Viggo replied with a friendly tone "The reason the price is a little higher, is because of what she did to me. Her and her friends have sunk more ships that I can replace and freed more dragons than an entire fleet's load. I need to make up my losses somehow."

"Fine. Seventy coins." The guest grunted, dropping something on the table above Ukiah.

"Very well, she's all yours." Viggo replied with a glee in his voice "I'll have my men put her in irons, so that she's ready to be moved onto your ship."

"Thank you." The guest replied, sounding annoyed.

Ukiah watched the two people turn and leave the tent. Finally leaving him alone. Waiting to make sure no one was coming back in, he slowly crawled from under the table and looked around. There were several tables laid out around the tent, with a small cot in the corner. Whatever Viggo valued, it wasn't luxury. Silently walking to a table littered with papers, he sifted through them and scanned for anything that looked like a list or manifest with all the dragons on them.

"Come on…Come on!" He growled, scanning the table relentlessly and moving papers as quickly and quietly as he could. Then, he saw it. The manifest sitting atop of a book. Snatching it, he quickly scanned the paper. Every single dragon was listed on it, with their location. Even Stormfly, Barf and Belch, Hookfang, and Meatlug. "There you are, beautiful." He whispered, quickly crawling under the table and making way to the flap he crawled under. Lifting the flap, he scanned for anything that would give him away. Seeing that it was clear, he silently crawled out and jogged to where Matt and Hiccup were hidden.

"Ukiah?" Hiccup's voice called out, surprised to see him jump in the bush with them.

"Shh!" He whispered, handing the manifest to him "Here, every dragon and their location."

"Great! Let's go!" Hiccup replied with a large smile. Swiping the manifest from Ukiah, he scanned it to see what it said.

"By the way, keep an eye out for a prisoner." Ukiah whispered, turning to scan the tent, just in case he was followed or heard "I heard Viggo talk to someone about a purchase. It sounded like Viggo sold another bidder a person or slave."

"Heather?!" Matt asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.

"They didn't say a name, but it is a girl. That much I know." Ukiah replied, looking at him with concern. "You'll have to search on your own. I didn't hear where they were being held."

"Come on, Matt. We'll find her when we get the others their dragons. Ok?" Hiccup called out, gently pulling on him "Right now, we need to tell the others."

Matt just nodded, thinking of what Ukiah just said. Being pulled away, he whispered "Thanks, Ukiah. See you in a bit."

"Be careful you two." Ukiah cautioned, turning to glide through the shrubs. Making sure he wasn't making as much noise, he slipped past the two guards stationed by the tent. Getting near the pathway, he scanned both ways to see if anyone was nearby.

"Is there a reason you're hiding in the bushes?" A voice called out, making him whirl around to see a kid and a man. The man he instantly recognized, making him run cold with hate. Ugo. Strogg's former pet champion. The kid however, was someone he's never seen before. Having to be near his age, the short natural blonde hair with a short ponytail, his swords strapped to his back, and having the plain looking armor, the kid didn't look at all unique.

Thinking fast, Ukiah quickly said "Ah, I was hoping to avoid this, but you found me." Standing up from his hiding place, he forced a laugh "I…heh, it's embarrassing actually. I decided to use the bathroom in the trees instead. The smell from the lavatories were…overwhelming."

The kid smiled, seeing why he was hiding. "Ah, that makes sense. I too haven't been too keen on using the lavatories myself." Stepping up, he grabbed Ukiah and pulled him onto the pathway. Extending his hand, he introduced himself "Zekir the Black Heart. Chief of Thariin."

Ukiah froze. This kid was the chief of Thariin?! How? He couldn't be older than himself! And Strogg wouldn't have left his village in charge of a kid! At least it explained why Ugo was there. Unfortunately, the thoughts that were running through his mind made him just stand there, staring at the Zekir.

"Are you…alright?" Zekir asked, raising an eyebrow at Ukiah's silence and gaping expression.

Shaking his head, Ukiah quickly thought of something on the fly, being partially truth "Ergh, yeah. Of course, I just, heh, I'll be honest. Wasn't expecting the Chief of Thariin to be here."

"You've heard of me?" Zekir asked, intrigued at the possibility.

"I've heard of Thariin. But sadly, not you." Ukiah admitted, playing on the con "Though it is an honor to meet you. Though, in an embarrassing way."

Laughing, Zekir just gripped Ukiah's shoulder and guided him down the pathway "Hah, at least it's a funny story! Now, what about you? What's your name?"

"Uh…Sir Ulgerthorpe." Ukiah lied, looking away from the quizzical stare "I know it's an uncommon name."

"Uncommon? It's the first I heard of it." Zekir laughed, shaking his head at Ukiah. "Come, why don't you sit with me and my advisor, Ugo? The auction is about to begin!"

"Is it? I need to grab my gold from my servant." Ukiah replied, walking with Zekir and in front of Ugo. He prayed to Odin that Ugo wouldn't recognize him, though his dyed hair and clean armor should be able to throw any similarities between Sir Ulgerthorpe and Ukiah.

As the three continued to walk down the pathway, Ukiah then asked "So, you said you're the chief of Thariin. You look young. Who was your father?"

Zekir smiled, turning to Ukiah. "Honestly, you're the first to not question my claim. I guess because of how young you are too. How did you come to power?"

"You can say I had this life forced upon me." Ukiah replied with a hint of sarcasm "So, I did what I could with the opportunities awaiting me. Hence, the dragon trading business."

"Interesting." Zekir replied with his usual laid back smile "You've seem to have made an impression on others. Something I'm still working on." Looking ahead on the pathway, he then said "I guess you can say that this life was forced on me too. Though I had to be a little more cutthroat to become chief. You see, my father was Strogg the Stone, who was killed while he was seeking out a certain individual."

Ukiah did his best to maintain his composure. This kid was Strogg's own blood? How?! Why?! Strogg said nothing of having a family.

Seeing Ulgerthorpe not say anything, Zekir continued to say "I fought and trained to become the Chief of Thariin. And succeeded. I wanted to make Strogg proud. You see, I'm a bastard son. I came from a wench. Strogg had no idea about me, and I wanted to surprise him with how strong I became." Chuckling, he simply shook his head and whispered "Never got the chance. He was killed before he returned home."

Ukiah didn't say anything. How could he? He was the person that was responsible for Strogg's death. Though he wasn't the one that delivered the final blow.

I killed family and brothers to obtain and keep my position of chief." Zekir continued to say, not seeing Ukiah stare at him "That's also how I got- no, that's how I earned the title The Black Heart. Given to me by my people."

Ukiah then asked the question that was burning in his mind "So why are you here at a dragon auction?"

"To supply Thariin's arena with dragons, and to also establish my name among other notable individuals. You included." Zekir replied with a smile "Perhaps you'd like to come visit? You can be a special guest!"

"I'll consider it." Ukiah replied as cordial as he could. The last thing he'd ever do is go back to Thariin. Especially with his experience in their arena. "But what of your father? Did you kill his murderer?"

"No. I haven't had the chance." Zekir growled, frowning at the subject "Though I was hoping to find some kind of information while I was here, I'm afraid that I have no way to track him." Looking at Ukiah, he unknowingly asked "If by any chance, you've come across a certain Ukiah, I'll be very interested in knowing what you know."

Shaking his head, Ukiah replied "Ukiah? Never heard of him."

"Of course." Zekir huffed, shaking his head disappointedly "He seems to be a ghost. Unable to be found."

Before Ukiah could follow up with another question, he was cut off by someone shouting "Zekir! There you are."

Ukiah and Zekir turned to see Darien walking to them. Flashing a smile at Ukiah, she greeted him "Hello there, Sir…uh…"

"Just call me Sir." Ukiah replied, forcing the most fake smile he could. He was honestly afraid that he overdid it.

"Right, thank you, Sir." Darien laughed, shaking her head at trying to say his name. Turning to Zekir, she then asked "Did you want Heather loaded in your ship right now? Or later. Viggo wanted me to personally oversee her. She's ready to be loaded on your ship when you are."

Ukiah's face darkened. It was Heather! Zekir was the one that bought her as a slave! There was no way he was letting him take her to Thariin. Not while he was breathing.

Ugo, who was standing quietly behind the group, noticed this. Watching Sir Ulgerthorpe's face visibly change, and his eyes blackening with no emotion or light, he simply let out a quite gasp. It was him. How could he not recognize the murderous look!

"Ah, thank you, Darien." Zekir replied with smile "I'm thinking I'll load her on my ship when I leave. That way she'll be more secure." Looking up at her, he let a laid-back smile grow on his face "So, are you going to be able to join me during the auction?"

"Unfortunately, no." She replied with a sheepish smile "I have to help with the dragons being auctioned off. I won't be able to."

"Of course…" He replied dejectedly, shaking his head at her "I need to tell Viggo to stop working you so hard."

"Heh, I signed up for it." Darien replied in an uncaring tone. Smirking at him, she then teased "Tell you what, after the auction, you can help me count your gold that you spent here."

"Heh, when you put it that way, I guess I'm spending it on you." Zekir joked, winking at her. Grabbing her arm, he then asked "So…later tonight? Maybe you can take me on a ride with Banshee?"

Blushing, Darien just nodded very shallowly "Yeah. Er, sure. Uh. I mean- that sounds nice."

Ukiah had enough of listening to the two. With his fake smile, he bowed to Zekir and said "Perhaps I'll see you at the auction. Right now, I need to get my gold."

"Of course, Sir…oh. Sir." Zekir laughed, stumbling over trying to say his name "I'll see you in a bit!"

Nodding, Ukiah turned and walked away, right to where he left Gobber.

"My chief. I need to talk to you at once!" Ugo whispered, making sure Ukiah was out of ear range.

"Not now, Ugo. I need to visit with Darien before she leaves." Zekir replied, reaching up and rubbing her arm.

My Chief! This is urgent!" Ugo hissed, grabbing Zekir and making him face him.

"By the gods! Touch me like that again, and see what happens!" Zekir growled, shaking off Ugo's arm. Glaring at his advisor, he then huffed "What is it?"

"I'm afraid Sir Ulgerthorpe is not who he says he is." Ugo began to say, not caring for the threat.

Both Zekir and Darien perked up at this.

"Who is he then?" Zekir asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That, my chief, was your father's killer." Ugo whispered quietly "That was Ukiah."

* * *

"Gobber? Who's this?" Ukiah asked aloud, seeing Gobber petting a massive, lazy looking dragon.

"Aye, this is Grump." Gobber replied "He's a beautiful beast, isn't he?"

"Well, he's certainly…round." Ukiah replied, looking at the dragon smile as Gobber began to scratch his chin.

"He's been with the hunters for who knows how long. Ryker told me that no one would buy him, and so they use him to eat all their scrap iron and rock." Gobber explained "I wish we could take him off the island with us…"

"Gobber, we have some bigger problems than trying to get a single dragon off this island." Ukiah replied, turning to look around to make sure no one was near "Like, Berk's in trouble problems."

Gobber quickly looked up at Ukiah, concerned with what he was saying.

Sighing, Ukiah shook his head "There's one client here with a history that has nothing but trouble over it. It's the Chief of Thariin."

"Wha- how? Strogg is dead! At least, that's what you and Astrid told us!" Gobber gasped in shock.

"Not Strogg. His son! Named Zekir the Black Heart." Ukiah whispered back "And honestly, he's just like his dad. He's a murderer."

Gobber just stared at Ukiah, unable to really have an answer or reply for him.

"If Zekir is like Strogg, then Berk's going to be visited by him in the near future!" He continued to say "We need to get the others out of here!"

"Aye, lad, I agree; but we're a little late for that." Gobber whispered, grabbing the chest of gold and handing it to Ukiah "The auctions about to begin. Let's worry about this first, and then tell Stoick about your discovery."

"If he doesn't cleave my head off first." Ukiah whispered sarcastically. Pulling up his hood over him, he then said "Very well, we're committed now. Let's go."

Gobber reached down to pet Grump one more time, only to see him get kicked out of the way.

"Out of the way, Grump!" Ryker growled, revealing himself. Glaring at the lazy dragon, he then ordered "Get back into the caves yeh lazy, fat beast!"

Grump grunted, waddling away from Ryker. Looking hurt, he quickly glanced at Gobber and then returned his attention forward.

Watching the big dragon disappear, Ryker growled "Lazy dragon. I really just want to roast 'im alive. He'd feed a ship and its crew for weeks."

Gobber frowned at the comment, unable to really defend the dragon.

Turning to Ukiah, Ryker then asked "Are yeh two ready?"

"We were just on our way." Ukiah replied with a smile

"Good. Because we are too." Ryker replied with a sly smile. Reaching forward, he grabbed the chest of gold out of Ukiah's grasp.

"What? What are you doing?!" Ukiah roared, going to grab it from him again.

Ryker laughed, kicking Ukiah away "I'm taking yer gold. What's it look like I'm doing?" At that, he signaled with his hand. Almost immediately, a group of hunters surrounded Gobber and Ukiah, leveling spears at their chests.

"What is this?!" Ukiah yelled, glaring at Ryker and raising his hands.

"You tell me. Ukiah." A voice snarled making the two turn to face the voice. It was Zekir and Ugo, with Darien standing next to them. Shaking his head, Zekir then growled "Ukiah. You're the one that murdered my father. I never thought coming to this auction would actually give the opportunity to end you."

Ukiah's eyes narrowed. Turning black as they usually did, he growled "It was Ugo, wasn't it?"

"Aye, I didn't recognize you until you got that look on your face." Ugo growled "I can never forget the first time I saw that expression. You become murderous."

"So. This is the infamous, Ukiah." Viggo called out, walking up next to Ryker "Another young kid. You're all certainly popping around all over."

Ukiah glared at Viggo, only to see Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins being marched behind them, all four having their hands tied in front of them and staring at him and Gobber with wide eyes.

"Oh yes, I know very well that Hiccup's here." Viggo replied with a casual smile "Not hard to figure out. He'll be joining you momentarily I'm sure."

"Viggo, if I may." Zekir replied with a cold voice "I'd like to end this killer myself. Right now."

"Oh, very brave." Ukiah spat, glaring at Zekir "Kill a captive. You're just like your dad. A coward. Couldn't hunt me without having a dozen men around him!"

"I'm not going to execute you. I'm going to duel you." Zekir growled "I'm not my dad. I'm very different from him. Death is such a sweet gift that I'm not ready to just give it to you. You need to earn it." Turning to Viggo, he then asked "How about as an opener to your auction, you let us duel. He won't win, but if he does, you can keep him as collateral." Seeing Viggo's disapproving scowl, he then suggested "You can take bets on the fight. Make a little extra gold."

"You really are nothing like Strogg." Viggo growled, staring at Zekir with a shrewd expression "Fine. I'll let you two duel. But you have to buy a dragon from me!"

"Of course, just like the girl I bought earlier today." "Zekir huffed while rolling his eyes. Seeing Ukiah visibly twitch out of anger, he then asked "What say you, Crevite? I guess I need your consent to this duel."

"I'll kill you." Ukiah whispered darkly "Strogg only survived our first duel because of his size. You're only half of him. If that."

"We shall see." Zekir replied with an evil smile. Turning to Gobber and the other dragon riders, he then said "I have no need of the others. Do what you will with them, Viggo."

"Lock 'em up!" Ryker ordered, handing the chest of gold to Viggo and pushing Gobber away from Ukiah "Keep an eye out for Hiccup and Astrid. They're the only dragon riders not accounted for."

Ukiah watched his friends get hauled away, realizing that the hunters thought that Matt was dead! Glad that they still had one wild card, he glared at Zekir and growled "I need a crossbow. That's my weapon of choice."

"Oh?" Zekir replied with a smirk "Very well, this is going to be easier than I thought."

Ukiah scowled as three hunters escorted him to the auction. Thinking of the coming fight, he let himself grow cold and emotionless. Though the plan to ruin Viggo's auction was shattered, he would not lose this fight.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need me to be with you?" Matt asked quietly, peering around the corner. The cave was dark and only had a few torches, making it hard to see. And be seen."

"Positive. I'm going to try and release a Catastrophic Quaken to start some chaos." Hiccup whispered, staring at the manifest Ukiah gave them "You focus on finding Heather. She has to be here."

Matt just nodded, glad that it was his task to find her.

Pointing down another cavern, Hiccup then said "The manifest doesn't have that many dragons listed down that way. Heather might be held there. Since it's away from a lot of the dragons on the selling block."

"Thanks, Hiccup." Matt whispered, drawing his hatchet and staring down the hallway "Just be careful, okay?"

"Yeah, you too, Matt!" Hiccup quietly replied, turning and running down another hallway "Come on bud, let's go!"

Matt watched Hiccup and Toothless run out of view. He had Wasatch stay behind, hiding in heavy shrubs and trees and ready to be called when needed. Being in a cave, he was nothing more than an overgrown lizard, unable to really radiate lightning. He left Teton at the Edge with Windshear, given that there was no room to hide him in on Johann's ship, and giving either of them as a tribute would have blown their cover.

Darting down the hallway with his hatchet drawn, he scanned each cell that he passed by. "Speed Stinger. Gronckle. Zippleback." He began to list, scanning for anything that wasn't a dragon. Then he saw something that made his heart sink. A wild dragon walking around the hallway! Darting behind a barrel full of hunter weapons, he hid from the dragon. It was one that he never saw before. It was large and Gronckle like, but dragged its belly on the ground. Hearing it scoot along the ground, he gasped as it walked past the barrel and turned to smile at him. Sniffing the barrel next to him, it simply growled as it grabbed one of the axes in the barrel and began to munch on it.

Confused, Matt stared at the dragon, unsure of what to do.

"I got her! Haha! That was easy!" A voice shouted down the hallway.

Matt froze, hearing multiple hunters shout down the hall, getting closer with every passing second.

"Get off of me!" A voice shouted, making Matt break into a sweat. It was Astrid. She was captured!

"Mmm?" A voice groaned nearby, making Matt gasp in both relief and shock. It sounded like Heather!

"Hold on, Heather! I'll get you- Agh! Let go!" Astrid shouted.

"Ho ho! She is a feisty one! Just like Ryker said!" Another hunter called out.

"Mmpphh…" Heather's voice again called out, sounding weak and exhausted; making Matt picture what was going on.

"I said get off!" Astrid roared.

Matt's heart stopped, hearing Astrid call out Heather's name. He then heard something solid get hit, followed by an "Urgh! Wrap that rope tight! Put a muzzle on her if you have to!"

"Don't you dar- Mmmpphh!" Astrid shouted, only to be rendered to muffled grunts.

"Mmrrmmph..." Heather grunted out weakly and in despair, making Matt's blood run cold at the sound of her voice. She sounded hurt. In pain.

Hearing footsteps and someone struggling nearby, Matt hugged the barrel and prayed he wouldn't be spotted.

"Get out of the way, Grump!" A hunter shouted.

Matt stared with wide eyes and the dragon was pushed farther in front of him, concealing him even more so. Matt caught a glimpse of three hunters marching Astrid away. Her hands were tied in front of her, with one of the hunters having his hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

"Mmmph! MMMMhhhmm!" She grunted, trying to shake off the hunter's grasp.

Matt just shook his head, unable to do anything. Even with the element of surprise, he couldn't take three hunters on by himself. Even if Astrid was freed for a brief second, her hands were still tied.

Seeing them disappear, Matt glanced at the dragon that acted as cover for him, who looked depressed from being kicked. Feeling sorry for the dragon, and also seeing that Hunter's didn't care that it was roaming around, he simply whispered "Hey, pal- er, Grump? Wanna come with me?"

The dragon snorted, as if surprised by the invitation. Wagging its bulky ball of a tail, it simply waited for Matt to stand up.

Checking to make sure no other hunter was nearby, Matt then darted to where he heard Heather's voice. So many emotions were running through his head. Unsure of what to expect, he gasped as he came up to one cell. His heart broke as he stared at Heather.

Laying there on the stone floor with her hands tied behind her, as well as her arms pinned to her back by a several coils of rope tightly wound over her chest, she had her eyes closed and refused to look up. A tight cleave gag was tied around her mouth, revealing a nasty cut on her lip, and a trail of dry blood on the corner of her mouth. She looked horrible, being covered in dry blood on her exposed arms and tattered clothes; deep cuts on her arms and cheek were littered across her, plus bruises all over her body and face. Her armor, scale plated skirt, hood, and mask were removed, leaving her only in her torn and slashed brown tunic and grey pants. Her otherwise smooth and braided, black hair was undone and a mangled mess.

"Heather…" He whispered, kneeling down and reaching through the door to touch her "What did they do to you?"

"Mmm?" She groaned, her eyes fluttering open. Looking at Matt, it took a second for her to recognize him. "Mmpph?!" She cried, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Shh! Shh…" He whispered, glancing around him to make sure he was still alone "I'm here now…just relax. I'm getting you out of here."

"Hmmm…" She whispered, shuffling her body closer to the cell door. Grunting in pain, she sat up and leaned against the door.

Seeing her being closer, he reached in and pulled her gag down. "Heather…how bad are you hurting? What did they do to you?"

"You're alive?! Matt!" She cried out, ignoring his questions and closing her eyes in disbelief "I…I can't believe it…I thought-"

"What? That a little water was going to be the end of me?" Matt replied quietly with a wry smile "You know me. I won't die if I'm left alone. Especially if it's the ocean."

"Matt…" She gasped, letting a tear fall down her cut cheek.

Frowning, Matt stood up and shook the door. Even though he found her, he still needed to get her out of there. And help find Astrid. Looking back on it now, he wished he tried to do something to help her. "Do you know where the keys are?" He asked, looking at the lock of the door.

Heather lightly shook her head, wincing in pain. "The guards that took Astrid have them!" She groaned, feeling light headed "How did you slip past them? I saw them go down the hallway."

"This guy hid me." Matt replied, looking over at the dragon named Grump "Hid behind him and a barrel when they walked by." Frowning, he looked down the hallway and whispered "Wish I helped her. I didn't realize that the guards would have had your key."

"Go find them. See if you can't help her!" Heather grunted, sliding down the wall onto the ground "I'm not going anywhere for now…"

"Heather!" Matt hissed, terrified at seeing her in such a state that she couldn't even sit up. Not wanting to leave her, he was pushed away by Grump. Staring at the dragon, he gasped as he watched the lazy looking dragon bite on the door and jerked it off its hinges, crunching the metal with ease.

"How in the world?" Heather whispered, staring in disbelief at the wonder.

Matt wasted no time. Running in, he used his hatchet and began to slice the ropes around her wrists. Making sure he didn't accidently nick her, he then moved onto the ropes around her chest.

"Matt!" She gasped, feeling herself freed.

Matt quickly grabbed her by putting his arms under her legs and back. Picking her up, he grunted "Let's find Astrid. If we get her out, we'll have a better chance of getting out ourselves!"

Heather tried to fight him, not wanting him to carry her; but her energy was all but gone. Letting her head rest against his shoulder, she finally gave in and let him carry her.

"Heather, I'm sorry…" He whispered, walking out of the cell "Please, forgive me for all my stupidity."

"Matt, what's to forgive?" She whispered, fluttering her eyes open. Letting the smallest smile crack on her face, she then leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek "Let's get out of here, then we can talk. Ok?"

"Sounds like a plan." Matt whispered, grateful for the simple kiss. He sincerely thought he'd never get that again, and he was glad to be wrong.

"Now shut up and find Astrid." She huffed, trying to keep her energy.

"Yes, ma'am." Matt replied with a slight chuckle. Turning around, he then called out "Come on, Grump! Mind helping us out again?"

Grump smiled as he jogged after Matt. Well, by jog, he sped up his pace, dragging his body along the ground.

"Glad you made a friend." Heather whispered with a weak smile "How did you break him out of his cage?"

"He wasn't in a cage." Matt huffed, walking down the hallway "It's a story for another time."

"Right, sorry." She replied, forgetting her own warning.

"By the way. I'm five times, and you're only four." Matt said quietly, letting a smirk grow on his face.

"What? What are talking about?" Heather asked, looking at him with confusion.

"I saved you five times. And you only saved me four!" He continued to joke, not able to hide the growing smile.

"Ugh!" She groaned, realizing what he was talking about "That's all I need. More reasons for you to tease me."

"And I'm not letting this one down." He whispered, smirking at her.

Shaking her head, she then again rested it against Matt and closed her eyes.

Frowning, Matt focused on what lay ahead, looking for wherever Astrid was taken.

* * *

"Now, assuming that this is all of Berk's gold. I'm guessing that Berk will take quite the hit on the bottom line." Viggo lauded over Hiccup. Staring at the dragon riders all locked in a cell with Gobber, he just laughed as he walked up closer "That is quite unfortunate, isn't it?"

Hiccup closed his eyes in anger and regret, knowing the cost of losing Berk's treasure.

"But please know that it will go to a wonderful cause. As are your dragons." He continued to laud over them. At that, Toothless was rolled into view on a cart, muzzled and strapped down.

"Toothless!" Hiccup cried, staring at his friend in horror.

"This one will fetch a considerable price." Viggo replied, walking over to Toothless. Staring at the Night Fury, he continued to tease "Almost a pity to sell him, but I'll get over it." Glancing back at Hiccup and the caged riders, he joked "If you're good, I may even let you watch!"

"Viggo!" Darien's voice cut in, making everyone turn to see her walk into view. Right behind her was Banshee, who screeched loudly at seeing Toothless. "Easy, Bansh, he's going nowhere." She said aloud, keeping her dragon from launching into the Night Fury.

"Darien? What is it?" Viggo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The duel is ready to begin. Zekir is waiting and Ukiah is outfitted." She reported "We're just waiting on you."

"Ah, I guess we better get going." Viggo laughed, turning to walk away. Signaling the hunters to push Toothless out, he then said "This should be a fight to watch. Zekir the Black Heart against Ukiah the vagabond. Too bad you won't be there to watch your friend die."

Everyone fidgeted in anger, unable to do anything. Astrid had enough though, which she shouted "Ukiah will kill this Zekir! He never loses."

Darien was the first to reply, saying "He lost when we captured him and you guys, didn't he?"

Astrid just glared at Darien with cold eyes, unable to rebuttal the question.

Walking up to them, she let her signature, deranged smirk grow on her face. "You know, I feel like…ah, yes. You are missing someone. I guess two people. Matt and Heather. Are…are you responsible for them missing?"

Hiccup fidgeted angrily, gripping one of the bars to their cell door.

"Guess you should have listened to Dagur, otherwise he, Matt, and Heather would still be with you guys. But I guess we did you a favor with putting him down." Pulling out something from behind her, she showed them Matt's goggles. "I'll let these keep you company." At that, she tossed them into the cell, which Astrid quickly picked them up with respect.

"As far as Heather goes, she's alive and…sort of well. I can't let you see her though, even if I wanted to." She lauded, turning and following Viggo out "Zekir owns her. She's a slave for the rest of her life. I guess you're the reason why both her and Dagur met their demise and deaths."

"No!" Hiccup shouted, jerking on the door violently. The words dug into him, still blaming himself for what happened to Heather and Dagur.

Darien laughed, loving the reaction she got out of them. Walking away with Banshee following close behind her, her laughs continued to haunt the riders as it echoed in the cave.

Staring at them as they disappeared, Hiccup looked down. He failed completely. This mission was a bust and they now lost Heather and their dragons.

"Hiccup." Astrid whispered quietly, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Not saying anything, he reached up and rested his hand on hers.

"Hiccup, we have to get out of here and stop them from selling our dragons!" Fishlegs piped up, looking terrified at the thought.

"We will, Fishlegs." He replied confidently.

"How?!" Fishlegs snapped, glaring at him with frustration and anxiety.

"Well, for one…" Astrid began to say, lifting up Matt's goggles and showing them to him "Matt's still out there."

"Oh, and he's just going to walk up to us and open the door without the keys, not to mention being able to slip past all the guards, and help us free our dragons?" Snotlout growled, folding his arms and glaring at Hiccup and Astrid "Oh, and not to mention to stop Heather from being taken to Thariin?! As a slave?!"

"Well, yeah-" Hiccup began to say only to be cut off.

"You know, maybe I'll just leave you in there for badmouthing me, Snotlout." Matt's voice cut in, making every turn to stare at him in shock and amazement. In his arms was Heather, though looking like she went through five fights. Stopping in front of the door, he gently lifted Heather to show her to them "I got one of those things done. Will that count?"

"Matt! Heather!" Hiccup cried out, running to the door "How did you-"

"Later, Hiccup. Please?" Heather whispered weakly, half opening her eyes.

"Ok, great. He's not spotted and has Heather." Snotlout growled, flustered at seeing him carry her like a hero "But we're still locked in here. Got any plans on getting us out of here, genius?"

"How do you think I got Heather out?" Matt asked, smiling at seeing Snotlout flustered.

Gobber then whacked Snotlout on the head, growling "Will ya' shuddup? You're the one in the cell, not him!"

Smiling, Matt then turned to face something out of their view. Gesturing to the cell door, he took a step back and let his 'key' step into view. Walking lazily up to the cage, Grump let out a long yawn and smiled at the group.

"Grump!" Gobber cried out happily, running to the door. Reaching through the door, he scratched the dragon's nose "That's my, Grump! Who's a good, Grump?"

Grump wagged his tail happily at seeing Gobber again.

"Did you hear that?" A voice echoed down the hallway.

Matt whirled around, gasping as two hunters were running towards him.

"Hold it right there, rider." One of the hunters ordered, holding an axe towards Heather "Or it's your friend that's going to be hurting."

"More than what you've already done to her?" Matt growled, backing against the cell door.

"Grump! Please help 'em!" Gobber asked with a pleading smile.

Grump immediately whirled around. Standing on all fours, he lifted his heavy body off the ground and growled angrily at the hunters.

"Wha? Grump?!" One hunter cried out, seeing the dragon growl menacingly at them.

"That's right, Grump! Now get 'em!" Gobber ordered, his smile turning evil.

The massive dragon fired a large fireball in-between the two hunters. One instantly began to brush the side of his leg, having been scraped by the fire ball. Grump instantly whirled around, smacking his large, boulder like tail into the one holding the axe at Heather, launching him into the cave's ceiling. Not stopping his sudden momentum, he then head-butted the other, stunning him. Again, he swung his tail around with as much speed as he could, launching the stunned hunter into the wall next to the cell.

"Well…" Matt began to say, staring at Grump "Glad I made friends with you!"

Grump smiled at Matt, to which he simply walked past him. Smiling wider at Gobber, he simply reached forward and bit on the door, crunching the metal.

"How did he do that?" Fishlegs gasped in amazement as Grump ripped the door off.

"Great!" Hiccup shouted, running out of the cell "Stick with the plan! Find your dragons while I release a few! If you have an opportunity, open up cages and cells as you go!"

"I have a different agenda." Matt replied, looking down at Heather with worry. Her eyes were closed, and she still looked like she was fresh out of a battle.

"I'm fine Matt…" She whispered, letting a crack of a smile grow on her face "Help Hiccup."

"Right, Matt, you focus on getting Heather out of here. Leave the rest to us!" Hiccup instructed "Come on guys! We got to save our dragons and stop this duel Ukiah's in!"

Everyone quickly began to run out, with Matt tailing behind them. Focusing on keeping his feet underneath him, he felt something slip over his head and hang from his neck. Shocked, he turned to see Astrid smiling at him as she slid his goggles over.

"Figured you'd want these back." She explained with a smile.

"Thank you." Matt replied with a calming smile "Was wondering what I was going to do without them."

Winking at him, she then ran ahead, making sure it was clear for him and Heather.

"Hold on, Heather, we're almost out of here." Matt whispered, focusing on his surroundings.

"I know, Matt. I know." She whispered weakly, her eyes closed as she let a weak smile grow "You have me now."

* * *

 _ **I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat, but school has resumed for me. This is going to be a crucial semester for me, and will involve and suck in most of my time. That being said, I'll finish this story, but will have to take a break from writing after. I think I have three more...maybe two chapters left. Probably three though.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed reading this! Can't wait to finish the next chapter and post it! Have an awesome day!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	21. Chapter 21: Battle of the Boarders

**Chapter Twenty-One: Battle of the Boarders**

* * *

"Gentlemen. Honored guests!" Viggo called out, walking out on the auction platform "I know most, if not all of you are anxious to get the auction going. Especially with the special prize I have to offer you tonight!" motioning for something to be brought into view, Viggo smiled as Toothless was carted next to him "This is the only Night Fury left in the world! And it was kindly delivered to us earlier today!"

The crowd gasped and instantly began to wave gold around. A legendary Night Fury! Right there in front of them! It was the first time anyone even saw what it looked like!

"However, due to some… unforeseen events. We find ourselves with a rare opportunity to watch a duel to the death." Viggo continued to say loudly, smiling at the excitement that Toothless brought.

A murmur rang through the crowd and the seating set up for them. The sun had set at least a half hour ago, and the dark was starting to overwhelm the remaining light, save the torches, lanterns, and fires lit.

"One of you, most honorable bidders, has a fate with a certain person. Named Ukiah." Viggo began to explain. Ukiah was then shoved onto the platform, equipped with a crossbow, bolts, and his knife. He still had his decorative armor and cloak, though nothing could hide his murderous look on his face. His hands were shackled in large irons, keeping him from striking at Viggo, being everything in his power to not at least try. "Your colleague had his father and chief killed by this…killer." Viggo continued to say.

Ukiah glared at Viggo with hate and contempt. "Coward…" He hissed, quietly to him.

Viggo didn't show he heard the insult. Gesturing to the other side of the platform, he then said "Zekir, the Black Heart. Chief of Thariin, is the one that is wanting the duel Ukiah to the death."

Zekir then walked into view. He still wore his usual attire, being a plain iron chest-plate and iron gauntlets. Darien was walking with him, plus Banshee following close by. Turning to him, she whispered something in his ear and then jogged away, leaving him to stare at Ukiah.

Then, laughing, Viggo added "Place your bets! Think of what you want to pay for the Night Fury! This is just a little extra fun we decided to have for you!" At that, he signaled his men and walked off the platform.

The crowd instantly began to place bets, creating a murmur and noise made up of arguments and loud bets that filled the air. Some even arguing about who should win the Night Fury!

Two men then walked up to Ukiah and unlocked the cuffs. Letting them fall to the floor, they promptly jogged away, leaving the two duelists alone.

Zekir slowly began to walk to the left, while Ukiah walked to the right while dropping his cloak onto the platform. The two started to circle each other. The crowd cheered and booed at the same time, excited for the random show they were surprised with.

Viggo and Darien stood by each other as they watched the two circle each other. "I guess we'll see if The Black Heart lives up to expectations." Viggo whispered, watching the two wearily.

"Yeah. I hope he wins." Darien replied quietly. Realizing what she said, she quickly glanced up at Viggo who was smiling at her. Blushing, she quickly looked away and watched.

"This ends tonight, Crevite." Zekir growled, drawing his longsword with one hand. Resting it against his shoulder, he then growled "I'm going to not only beat you, I'm going to show you that I control other's fate."

"You sound just like your cowardly father." Ukiah, drawing the hunter styled crossbow. Loading a bolt into it, he then added "Trying to dictate other's fate and claiming he can decide what happens to others."

"Stop bringing Strogg into this." Zekir huffed tiredly, rolling his eyes at the subject "You still think I'm doing this entirely to avenge him. You're wrong."

Ukiah narrowed his already black eyes.

"While that can be seen as the motivator, it's really just to prove myself to not only my men, or Thariin itself." Zekir replied, his face growing dark. His otherwise laid back attitude was disappearing, putting Ukiah on edge. "I'm doing this to prove to myself that I'm strong enough to be chief!"

"If strength was everything, then Strogg wouldn't be dead." Ukiah growled "I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't be where you are now." Ukiah stopped by a torch. Grabbing it, he then beat the fire out against a large pole. Zekir stopped, staring at him in confusion. Getting a hefty amount of charcoal out, Ukiah then stomped the pieces into a black soot. He then kneeled down and covered his hand in it. In one smooth motion, he drew an angled line down his face with the soot, high left to low right. "You're not even half his size. I'll drop you before you take your fourth breath. Come fight me, Black Heart. I'm ready."

Zekir then roared, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands. Charging Ukiah, he held it high over his head, ready to bring it down over Ukiah.

Ukiah's calming feeling rushed over him. Raising the crossbow, he aimed and fired it at Zekir's legs, being unprotected.

Zekir anticipated the shot, to which he quickly planted his left foot down and pushed to the right, letting the bolt miss him completely. Un-swayed by the detour he was forced to take, he kept on charging Ukiah. Swinging the sword down at an angle, he struck at him.

Ukiah easily jumped back as the strike sliced the air in front of him. Planting his feet, he lunged forward with the crossbow extended out and aimed for Zekir's throat. If he could stun Zekir, he'd have an easy shot at him.

Zekir quickly countered the strike by letting go of his sword with his left hand. Grabbing the front of the crossbow, he quickly redirected its pathway from him.

Ukiah didn't stop. Running forward, he raised his knee and bashed it into Zekir's stomach, though it was stopped by the metal chest plate.

"Urgh!" Zekir grunted, glaring at him. Shoving Ukiah away, he re-gripped his sword's hilt and walked slowly around Ukiah.

The crowd cheered and booed, seeing the two circle each other a second time.

"What? Not feeling as bold?" Ukiah scoffed, reloading the crossbow with a shrewd grin.

Shaking his head, Zekir let a small smile grow on his face "That's four." He whispered. Seeing Ukiah's confused face, he chuckled "I took four breaths. You failed to stop me from doing that."

Ukiah frowned, seeing that he was trying to get under his skin like he was. "Then I'll atone for my failure by making sure you stop breathing entirely."

"Then show me!" Zekir roared, running at Ukiah. Rather than raising his sword to bring it down over Ukiah, he had it lowered at his waist. In one smooth motion, he thrust it forward to run it through his stomach.

Ukiah swung the crossbow across, redirecting the blade from him and to the side. Letting the blade run past him, he quickly let go with one hand and swung it Zekir's head. Zekir saw it coming, to which he pulled his head back and let the fist whiff by, but held his ground. Grunting, he then forced the blade across, pushing Ukiah away.

"Gah!" He yelled, feeling the blade push him over. The chainmail stopped the blade from actually cutting him, but didn't help him from being knocked over.

Rolling with the momentum, he sprung up on his feet. He was shocked to see Zekir already swinging at him! Raising his crossbow vertically, he blocked the strike with the wooden body.

Thunk.

The blade sank into the wood stock with a thud. The crowd cheered, seeing Zekir on the offense.

"What? Surprised that I was already rushing at you?" Zekir lauded over him, pushing against the crossbow and forcing Ukiah back "I told you. I'm not like Strogg. And I couldn't agree more with you when you said strength isn't everything."

Ukiah narrowed his eyes. Pushing off from the stalemate, he leaped backwards and aimed it at Zekir. Pulling the trigger, he let the bolt fly and fly true to its target.

"Gargh!" Zekir growled in pain, while taking a step back from the force of the hit. Looking down, he saw the bolt buried in the chest plate, though just to the head.

Ukiah didn't stop there. Planting his foot down, he then pushed off and rocketed himself at Zekir, who was still recovering. Drawing his knife in a reverse grip, he then went and slashed at Zekir's exposed bicep as he went by.

The crowd gasped and went nuts, seeing Ukiah draw blood.

Darien gasped, seeing a long red slash along his arm. "No!" She cried out, watching Zekir flinch in pain.

Zekir's eyes narrowed. Glaring at Ukiah, who was putting some distance between him and reloading his crossbow, he readied his sword and slowly advanced on Ukiah.

"And I'm not like your brothers." Ukiah growled at him, narrowing his eyes. He had to keep the offensive on Zekir. Aiming his crossbow, he fired another bolt at him, this time aiming for his head.

Zekir dodged nimbly to the left, with the bolt skimming his cheek. Lunging forward, he raised the longsword up and brought it down as hard as he could. Ukiah raised his crossbow, blocking the strike with the metal arm.

Katiiing!

The sword snapped the arm off, uncoiling the tightly wound string. This led the crowd into a frenzied cheer, sure that Zekir would make quick work of Ukiah now. Ukiah quickly let go of the destroyed crossbow and leaped backwards, drawing his dagger. Spinning it in his hand, he growled "Not as easy as you thought, huh? Had to destroy the crossbow to get an advantage."

Zekir didn't say anything. Staring at Ukiah, who had his dagger raised in front of him like a snake ready to strike, he simply did a quick thrust to push Ukiah away.

"Seems the tide has turned." Darien whispered to Viggo in relief, watching the Zekir move Ukiah around on the platform.

"I wouldn't count Ukiah out just yet. He survived Strogg twice." Viggo replied back, equally quiet. Turning to Toothless, who was watching the fight in angst, he growled "I wish this fight would end sooner than later though. This is cutting into my auction time."

"Relax, Viggo." Darien replied with a smile "You have the night to sell all our dragons."

Viggo shook his head, still frustrated that the auction wasn't going as planned.

Ukiah and Zekir continued to circle each other. Zekir rotated his shoulder, readying himself to strike at Ukiah, when one hunter screamed aloud "Fire! Fire!"

Everyone, including the two duelists turned to watch a hunter run through the auction with his leg on fire.

"What's going on?!" Viggo roared, shocked at seeing the hunter run by. Suddenly, the Catastrophic Quaken that was giving them trouble before, rolled by and smashed a few cages, releasing the dragons within.

"No! Secure those dragons!" Darien shouted, sprinting off the auction platform. Banshee was close by, following his rider.

"Darien! Defend the Night Fury!" Viggo ordered, stopping her from running off "We both know Hiccup's behind this! I'll secure the gold we made and you make sure the Night Fury is loaded on my ship!"

Darien froze, whirling around and glaring at Viggo "But the auction! I can still save this!"

"No!" Viggo ordered, grabbing Berk's chest of gold "Get the Night Fury on my ship! That's an order!"

"Gah!" She roared, watching one hunter get flung into the air by a Gronckle "Come on, Bansh!" At that, the two bolted to the cart Toothless was strapped on

Ukiah saw his opportunity. With Zekir distracted by the panicked patrons and bidders, he rushed him with his dagger aimed right at his throat, ready to end him.

Zekir was more than ready. Though he was surprised with Ukiah's speed, his own quickness saved his life as he back pedaled away from the snake like strike. Readying his longsword, he snarled "This ends now, Crevite! I'm done toying with you!"

"I'm sure you are. Strogg." Ukiah replied with a sarcastic tone and letting a smirk growing on his face, knowing that the subject of Strogg would make Zekir rage.

"Raagghhh!" Zekir roared, charging Ukiah once again.

Ukiah felt the cold, calming feeling rush through. Ready to sidestep the strike, he was shocked to see a pillar of fire rip in-between them.

"What the?!" Zekir screamed, backing away from the sudden obstacle. The heat of the fire forced him back. Staring into the raging flames, he couldn't even see where Ukiah had gone. The duel, though not how he wanted it to, ended. Growling, he sheathed his longsword and ran away, seeing that more and more wild dragons were being released from their cages.

Ukiah was also scanning the fire, trying to find his adversary. He didn't even notice the gang run through a small wall of flames behind him, with Matt trying to shield Heather the best he could.

"Ukiah!" Hiccup shouted, running up to him "Are you alright?! We came as soon as we got out!"

Ukiah ignored Hiccup. His head twitched as his black eyes ceaselessly scanned the fire. He couldn't have lost Zekir! His heart thumped harder with every passing second, and the heat from the fire seemed to amplify his quiet rage. He was losing himself, and he didn't care. Zekir was going to die.

"Ukiah! We need to get out of here! We did what we could!" Hiccup shouted, grabbing Ukiah and pulling him back.

"Get off!" Ukiah roared, back handing Hiccup away from him. His eyes were murderous, making both Hiccup and Astrid gasp in horror. Ukiah was not himself, and they easily recognized the expression. "I'll be done when I'm done! You get out of here and leave me and Arrow!" He continued to shout "I can't leave now!"

"Ukiah?" Matt gasped, seeing him literally change in front of him.

"Leave me alone! I'll see you later!" Ukiah roared while picking up his black cloak. Whirling around and leaping through the fire, he left the riders behind.

"Ukiah!" Matt roared, trying to see where he disappeared to.

"Matt! Forget him! He's raging again!" Astrid shouted, grabbing Matt's shoulder "Get Heather out of here! That's the best thing we can do!"

Not wanting to leave Ukiah, Matt reluctantly nodded, turning to run into the forest where Wasatch was hiding "Just get your dragons out! Don't worry about us!"

"Oh, I'd worry about yerselves…" A loud, hoarse voice called above them.

Everyone turned to see Ryker and Darien standing on a platform above them. Darien was standing on Banshee, ready to strike at them. Darien herself looked like she was about to explode, with the orange light of the fire and her staring at Matt in disbelief.

"I have to say that I'm not really that surprised yer still alive, Matthew Haddock." Ryker growled, drawing his sword "I'm afraid yer not going to be leaving with Heather though."

"Ryker! It's over!" Hiccup shouted, curling his fists in anger.

"Said the one-legged boy." Ryker scoffed, drawing one of his swords. At that, he leapt from the platform and lunged over Hiccup, ready to bring it down on him.

Everyone stared with wide eyes as Gobber magically appeared in front of Hiccup, blocking the strike with a battle-axe.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Gobber growled, halting Ryker's charge.

Grunting, Ryker narrowed his eyes and began to push against him.

"Let's take this somewhere else, shall we?" Gobber grunted, feeling himself get pushed back. At that, pushed off of Ryker and swung his axe down and low.

Ryker leaped back, dodging the strike.

Gobber continued to push him away from Hiccup and the others, leaving only Darien defending Toothless.

Seeing that she was alone, she then roared "Even with all of you, I'm going to make sure you and Heather die, Matt! If that's the last thing I ever do!" Darien roared in hysteria, her insane behavior starting to take over.

"You know, I didn't just come back to save Heather." Matt replied, staring back up at her and Banshee "I came back for a rematch." Turning to Astrid, he gently handed Heather over to her, saying "Find your dragons. I'll keep her busy from chasing you guys."

Astrid nodded, making sure she had a good grip on Heather.

"Matt! No! Don't be a hero!" Heather tried to cry out, wincing from being passed around.

"I'll kill all of your friends! Right in front of you!" Darien shouted, a vein bulging from her neck.

"No, you won't. You'll be too busy with me, because I'm here to challenge you." Matt replied loudly "You fought me when I was on my other Skrill, Teton. The one I'm still training."

"And?! What are you saying?" Darien roared, letting Banshee glide down in front of Matt.

Everyone stared at Matt in confusion as the two conversed, not sure what he was doing.

"Matt?" Astrid asked, looking at him in concern.

Matt simply drew his hatchet. Holding it out in front of him, he then dropped it. "Me and you. For the title of the Dragon Boarder. You on your dragon, and me on the original Skrill I rode, Wasatch."

Seeing that he was blatantly challenging her to another dragon fight, she let her deranged smile grow on her face. "What's stopping me from just chasing your friends instead?"

"You can't stop all of us from getting away." Matt growled, his eyes narrowing "I'm giving you a guaranteed shot at me. Why would you pass on that?"

Shrugging, she then casually admitted "Fair point. Say I do accept your challenge. What do I gain from it?"

"The title of being the Dragon Boarder, and me." Matt growled, his eyes narrowing "Think of it as a double or nothing from last time we fought."

"I accept." Darien replied with a large smile "I'll have more fun torturing you than Heather. She got boring towards the end. Besides, when I send her your head, that'll be just as rewarding as if I still had her."

"Go get your dragons and get Heather out of here." Matt instructed, looking at Astrid. Then, turning to Hiccup, added "You get Toothless when I drag Darien away. Got it?"

Hiccup nodded, knowing he was buying everyone time.

Matt slipped his pocket knife out. Handing it to Heather, who was resting in Astrid's arms, he then growled to Darien "No weapons. Only dragons."

Darien shook her head as she drew her sword "I don't need a sword to kill you, Matt. I'll beat you just like before. Maybe faster." At that, she dropped her sword into the dirt.

"Matt, please don't…" Heather cried out, watching him in horror.

"It's to guarantee us getting out of here. At least you guys. Otherwise, she'll just chase after all of us. And her dragon is pretty quick." He explained as he looked at her with a comforting expression. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, he added "Aside from that, I can't let her live with the satisfaction of beating me. This is for the title of being the Dragon Boarder. My title. The one thing I made for myself, and I won't lose. Not with Wasatch."

"Ah, the love birds." Darien teased, smirking at the two "Now, for this fight, I hope you actually brought your dragon."

"He's here." Matt growled, narrowing his eyes. Turning to Astrid, he then yelled "Go! Get out of here!"

Astrid nodded, turning around and running away with Heather trying to protest.

"Wasatch! Ready?!" Matt roared, turning and running into the trees.

Darien and Hiccup watched as Matt disappeared into the forest. A few moments later, a lightning bolt struck from the black forest, revealing Matt hovering above the trees and standing on Wasatch. Wasatch let lightning run up and down his back, as well as covering his wings and creating a small storm under him with every beat of his wings. Glaring at Darien, Matt simply let Wasatch surge into the air, leaving a small electric trail behind him

"Well, you get style points." Darien jeered loudly, launching into the air and chasing after him.

Hiccup watched helplessly as the two fly into the night. Shaking his head, he stared at Banshee's glow and a flying lightning bolt dance in the night sky against each other

Suddenly a shout roared behind him, startling him.

"Don't you think this might be a good time to go after Viggo?!" Gobber grunted sarcastically, getting thrown into a cage "And get Berk's gold back? Just a thought."

"Right, sorry!" Hiccup cried out, realizing time was not on their side. Running to Toothless, he quickly patted him down, whispering "Oh bud, I was so worried. You ok?"

Toothless growled as best he could with the muzzle on.

Ripping the muzzle off as fast as he could, he then growled "Come on, bud! Let's make Viggo pay for doing this to us!"

* * *

"Chief Zekir! What happened?!" Ugo shouted, seeing Zekir run up to the ship.

Zekir ignored the question as he began to shout "Get the ship ready to sail. We can't fight all these dragons with the Water Breaker." Turning around, he stared at the burning island. Several Nightmares then strafed the large tent acting as the pub, engulfing it in a large inferno "Find Viggo's flagship and follow it. Our business with him isn't done."

"But what of Ukiah?!" Ugo asked, staring at the young chief with angst.

"He got away…" Zekir growled, his face darkening at the thought. Whipping his head to Ugo, he then roared "Get the ship ready to go! We can't stay here for long!"

Ugo instantly began to issue orders, knowing Zekir didn't have much patience after losing Ukiah. "Get the sails ready! I want five men ready to drop any dragon that gets too close! Time is not on our side!"

Staring at the raging fire, Zekir shook his head in disappointment. The duel with Ukiah was one that he could have won, but Ukiah was right in one aspect. He wasn't anything like his brothers or men he killed. He lasted much longer with his crossbow than he gave him credit for.

"My chief! Get on!" Ugo shouted from the ship.

Turning to cross over, Zekir was then halted by a shout.

"Not wanting to finish what you started, Black Heart?" The voice called out loudly.

Whirling around, Zekir watched as Ukiah leaped through a wall of fire. His cloak was burning, but had shielded him from the flames. Discarding it into the water, he simply glared at Zekir with black, pitiless eyes. Sheathing his dagger, he growled "You're just like your father. Won't fight unless he has the absolute advantage."

Zekir let out a long sigh, shaking his head "I told you to stop bringing up Strogg." Ignoring his men behind him, he then ordered "Ugo, keep the men on the ship. If I go down, leave me. I don't want to give Ukiah any excuses for when I beat him. It's just going to be me and him. No help. No advantages."

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Ukiah growled, walking to the edge of the dock "Arrow! Come here!"

Zekir watched in surprise as a sharp looking dragon launched out of the water. The spikes along its back and wings made it look lethal. Watching it growl at him with its razor like teeth, he commented "So…you're going to let him fight with you? After you complained I wouldn't fight you without help?"

"He's not going to help me kill you." Ukiah growled, reaching over and pulling his crossbow off the saddle. Wiping the excess water off, he then pulled back the mechanism and let the crossbow load itself "He's here to make sure your men obey your orders."

Arrow growled with his piercing green eyes narrowing at Zekir. He would have lunged at him if Ukiah hadn't begun to push him back.

"Stay here friend, this is my fight." Ukiah growled walking up to Zekir.

"I have to say this though, Ukiah. For killing my father, I have to thank you." Zekir began to say, drawing his longsword a second time "It gave me the chance to continue to learn and grow. Both stronger and wiser."

"Thankful for killing your own blood?" Ukiah scoffed, stopping and readying his crossbow to fire "You don't realize how similar you are to Strogg. He had no care for his men or life in general."

"I am the Black Heart." Zekir replied with a shrug. Resting the longsword on his shoulder, he then commented "You still don't get it, do you? Life is a curse and sickness; a plague even. Death is the blessing and cure for it. Think of that. While you're down here on this earth, struggling to survive, fighting to draw breath; Strogg is in a better place. Away from worries and suffering." Narrowing his eyes, he growled "Something that I'll deny you. After we're done here, I'll make you beg for death, but I will not give it to you."

"Then the gods will smile upon you tonight." Ukiah whispered coldly "I will make sure I give you the 'blessing' of death!"

Zekir roared as he leapt into the air, swinging his sword down with the jump strike.

Ukiah instantly swung his crossbow up, blocking the strike with the metal arms.

Ping! The metal crashing into each other echoed off into the night. Zekir stared in surprise that the crossbow didn't break at the force.

"Gronckle Iron." Ukiah growled, his body being silhouetted in the flames behind him "You can't break my personal crossbow." At that he shoved off from the stalemate and swung his crossbow at Zekir's face.

Zekir let go of his sword with his left hand and raised it up, letting the crossbow strike his gauntlet. Ukiah then swung his leg around, getting his foot behind Zekir and lifting up. Zekir promptly fell onto his back, unable to counter Ukiah's quick feet.

Ugo and the men watching from the ship, cried out in shock! Not believing that Zekir was thrown so easily. Before Ukiah could capitalize on his advantage though, Zekir swung his sword with all his might while laying down, in the attempt to keep him away.

Ukiah saw the longsword slicing towards him. Catapulting himself forwards, he somersaulted away. Zekir rolled over onto his hands and knees, glaring at Ukiah with hate. Ukiah had already stood up and whirled around, raising the crossbow and taking aim at Zekir on his hands and knees.

Zekir rolled onto his side, letting the bolt sink into the wood dock. Springing to his feet, he thrust his sword at Ukiah's stomach. Instead of trying to hit Ukiah, he aimed just to the left forcing him to roll to the right and on the edge of the dock. In one smooth motion, he swept the sword after Ukiah, making contact with his side.

"Gah!" Ukiah roared, feeling the blade crash into his chain mail. The armor stopped the blade from slicing him open, but the force still launched him into the water.

Splash! His vision clouded up with bubbles. The weight of the chainmail began to pull him down, and he refused to let go of his crossbow. Kicking with all his might, and pulling himself up with one arm, he finally broke the surface. Scrambling to grab the dock's edge, he felt what he thought was a lightning bolt crash into his shoulder.

"Gaagghhh!" He roared, forced to keep gripping the dock with the pained shoulder. Glancing over, he saw that Zekir had run his longsword through it.

Ugo and his men cheered happily, seeing Zekir draw blood and cripple Ukiah. Arrow was also roaring, panicked at seeing Ukiah with the sword sticking out of his left shoulder, and struggling to pull himself out of the water.

"Get up!" Zekir barked, jerking out the longsword from Ukiah.

"Urrgghh!" Ukiah growled, feeling his shoulder refuse to pull him up.

"I said get up!" Zekir roared, kneeling down and grabbing Ukiah by his hair. Pulling him up, he dragged him onto the dock.

Using his good arm, Ukiah finished pulling himself up. Wincing in pain, he reached for his shoulder to feel the damage. Warm liquid ran over his hand, followed quickly by a sharp pain. The chainmail was destroyed, and his arm was useless. Looking up at Zekir, who had taken a couple steps back, he then reached for his crossbow with his good hand, being his left. Grimacing as his shoulder lit up in pain, he swung the crossbow around and aimed at Zekir with one hand. Pulling the trigger, he let the bolt fly.

Zekir face tightened as he tried to jump to the side, only to catch the bolt in the hip, right where his armor ended in protecting him. "Gagh!" He shouted, crashing onto the dock.

"Your turn to get up!" Ukiah snarled, stepping on the crossbow arm and pulling the mechanism back with his good hand. Hiccup and Matt's ingenious design again reloaded the crossbow itself, letting him work it without needing both hands.

"I'm tired of this! Time to end you!" Zekir roared, pulling the bolt out of his hip. Not caring for the bleeding, he sprung to his feet and charged Ukiah with his sword raised above his head.

Ukiah aimed his crossbow and fired at him. Zekir never changed course, but kept on rushing Ukiah. The bolt drilled him in the center of the chest, which the iron chest plate absorbed, letting only the bolt head in a little bit. Swinging down, Zekir tried to slice at Ukiah, who nimbly leaped backwards. Ukiah dropped his crossbow and drew his dagger with his only functioning hand. Letting the longsword slash the air right in front of him, he planted his foot down and lunged at Zekir, with dagger aimed at his throat.

Zekir instantly let go of his sword with his right hand. Shooting it out forward, he grabbed Ukiah's chainmail shirt, stopping him from flying forward. Ukiah didn't mind being stopped, using the moment to draw the dagger over Zekir's exposed arm.

"Gagh!" Zekir roared in pain, jerking his arm back. Cradling it in his chest, he viciously kicked out at him, planting his boot into Ukiah's knee.

The force collapsed Ukiah, where he landed on his side. Before he could even try to roll back onto his feet, he felt something stomp on his chest. Looking up with his black, cold eyes, he gasped as he felt A riveting pain rip through his already injured shoulder. "Gahh!" He cried out, gripping his shoulder out of reflex. Then he felt it. Zekir's longsword sticking through and pinning him to the deck.

"You lose, Ukiah." Zekir growled, letting go of his sword and stumbling back. Letting it stick straight up into the air, he snarled "I won. You lost."

Suddenly a roar screeched in the air. "My chief!" Ugo shouted, forcing Zekir looked up in time to see Arrow lunging at him.

Seeing Ukiah's life in danger, the Sand Wraith refused to obey orders. Leaping for Zekir's throat, he simply grazed him as Zekir launched himself backwards and away from Arrow and Ukiah. Completing a back somersault, Zekir drew his broadsword with his good hand.

By this time, Arrow camped himself over Ukiah, protecting him with his body.

"My chief! You won! Get onboard so we can get out of here!" Ugo shouted, staring at Zekir in horror "That dragons' claimed many men's lives! Almost my own!"

Zekir narrowed his eyes at Arrow. "I'm not leaving! I'm not done with Ukiah!" He roared, sprinting at Arrow with sword lowered. Arrow screeched in a fury, charging Zekir as well. Leaping through the air, he aimed himself at Zekir's throat again, this time on course to get it. Zekir then kicked his feet out and falling over onto his back. With his momentum, he slid on the dock and right under Arrow, who was trying to correct himself to get Zekir. While sliding, Zekir raised his broadsword and rammed it into the dragon's soft belly, driving the blade halfway through.

Arrow let out a shocked cry, feeling himself lose almost all energy and anger. Collapsing on the dock, he simply lay there motionless.

"Arrow!" Ukiah cried in hysteria "No! No!" Gripping the blade that kept him pinned, he tried to lift the sword out and not caring his hands were getting cut up from the sharp edges.

Zekir ignored Ukiah as he rolled onto his feet. Seeing Arrow breathe shallowly, he simply walked up to him, cradling his arm as the pain was now becoming impossible to ignore.

"Let him be! He's not part of our fight!" Ukiah cried out, frantically trying to at least knock the sword over so he could stand up.

"I'm going to make you beg for death…" Zekir replied calmly, no emotion in his voice. Walking up to Arrow's head, he stared at the dragon as he simply explained "And I will not give it to you. But your friends? The ones you care about? I'll gladly give them the blessing." At that, he drew his sword back, took one last look at Arrow, and drove it forward, right into his neck.

"NOOOO!" Ukiah screamed, unable to see how far Zekir drove his sword into Arrow. His anger, the cold, dark feeling was all but gone. All his life, he didn't care about himself and always looked out for Arrow! And he failed! His loss cost him his friend's life! The only one that remained with him! The one that changed his life forever!

Zekir just stood there, staring at the lifeless body of the dragon. His men didn't say anything. They just stared in awe and shock, seeing the legendary dragon, Arrow, dead. The one that claimed many of their comrades' lives. The one that Strogg set out to kill, along with Ukiah. And here was their new chief standing as victor over both.

Pulling the sword out of Arrow, Zekir wiped the blood off on the dragon's body, not caring or respecting it. Sheathing his sword, he growled as he walked over to the sobbing Ukiah "I'm still not done with you…I'm not only taking your friends, I'm taking your purpose in life." Standing on top of Ukiah, he stepped on his chest and gripped the hilt of the longsword. Staring into Ukiah's tear stained eyes, he then calmly asked "You…you don't care for your own life, do you?"

Ukiah could only glare at Zekir with tear stained eyes, unable to even choke out an insult or curse.

"That's what made you weak. Easy to expose." Zekir whispered "I don't have to hurt you directly to make you wish for death. I just have to take away those you care about, and your ability to protect them." At that, with his one hand, he drew the longsword across Ukiah's shoulder, pulling out the sword.

"AAGAGGGHH!" Ukiah screamed, unable to fight the pain any more. He couldn't feel his body. He couldn't feel anything except for a numbing rush through his veins. With blood loss, battle fatigue, and losing Arrow; he stared up into Zekir's unforgiving eyes as he whispered weakly and in a defeated tone "I'm sorry Arrow…I killed you. I…l-l-lost…you…" closing his eyes as he slipped into a darkness, he whispered one final sentence "Wh-whats th-the-the point…life m-m-means…no-n-nothing…"

* * *

Zekir stared at Ukiah. Shaking his head, he walked over to the side of the dock and dipped his longsword in the water. Letting the blood run off, he then limped to the Water Breaker. Crossing the gangway, he growled "Let's get out of here. Find Viggo. Our business is not yet concluded with him."

"Aye, my chief. Let's also get you taken care of." Ugo acknowledged, staring at Zekir in amazement. This is why he was terrified of him. He was unstoppable and was always focused. Even with stopping Ukiah and killing Arrow, his mind never wavered from the original purpose of getting a supply of dragons. He was unyielding.

"My chief! Look!" A soldier shouted, pointing up in the sky "A storm!"

Everyone's heads whipped to where the soldier was pointing. Sure enough, a large cloud was filled with lightning, and hovering over the island. Staring at the sight, Zekir gasped as he saw a blue bolt shoot out of the cloud! It was Banshee! And Darien! Behind them was a lightning bolt. He could hear a dragon screech from them, knowing one of the two dragons was raging. Forgetting everything, he then shouted "Take the ship and find Viggo! I'm staying here!"

"My chief! Your wound-" Ugo tried to protest.

"Damn my wounds! I'll take care of myself!" Zekir roared, grabbing a bandage from Ugo. Turning, he leaped over the side of the ship and began to jog up the ramp, past both Ukiah and Arrow. He snatched Ukiah's crossbow as he growled angrily "Get out of here! That's an order!"

"Set sail!" Ugo roared angrily, seeing Zekir disappear into the smoke and fire "Find Viggo's flagship!"

As the men scurried all over the deck, Ugo turned back to the raging inferno and shook his head. If there was one weakness that Zekir could be exposed with, it was Darien. The girl that had him absolutely smitten. Looking up at the glowing dragon and floating lightning bolt, he simply watched the battle above, wondering who Darien was fighting.

* * *

Matt gritted his teeth as he guided Wasatch into a roll, keeping himself right behind Banshee. Darien was trying every move she used when he was on Teton, and wasn't having any luck. He was a different rider with Wasatch. And in the dark sky, Banshee was just a large target, unable to hide or get any kind of advantage over Wasatch.

Banshee then banked hard left, with Darien smoothly twisting her body to help him maneuver. Glancing back, she stared in horror as Matt and Wasatch did the same, being placed right behind her. No matter how much she struggled and turned, she couldn't get him off Banshee's tail.

Wasatch let out a small but quick lightning bolt, flying just under Banshee. Banshee then roared angrily, from almost being hit. Rotating himself, he began to fall over on his back and facing Wasatch. Firing a large amount of his paralyzing mist, he tried to nail his pursuer.

Wasatch saw it coming, to which he quickly air braked in the air; rolling to the right and down; completely missing the mist; and into a steep dive. However, it put himself in a position to be chased.

"Come on! After 'em!" Darien roared, seeing an opportunity to chase after Matt and Wasatch. Banshee roared loudly, rolling over and banking himself after the Skrill.

"They're right behind us!" Matt shouted, looking behind them "Think they'll be able to keep up?" Wasatch roared in a scoffing way, knowing they were the better team. Matt let a quick smile grow on his face, knowing Wasatch was more than capable to outfly Banshee "Up there! That cloud! Draw a lightning bolt from it and take us away! They'll never see where we went and where we'll come from!" Again, Wasatch roared as he surged forward, putting more distance between him and Banshee.

"Come on! It's smaller than the last one! It can't be faster!" Darien screamed, seeing Matt and Wasatch start to pull farther away from them. Banshee screeched in a fury, to pump himself up. Beating his wings faster and harder to try and reel them closer. Climbing up to chase after the Skrill, both Darien and Banshee stared in surprise as a lightning bolt erupted right under Wasatch. In a blink of an eye, the two disappeared, leaving the bewildered dragon and hunter behind. "Wh-where did they go?" She cried out, frantically looking around. In her mind, she couldn't help but wonder what she just saw. It looked like the Skrill rode a lightning bolt away! How did he do that?

Suddenly a roar sounded above them. Looking up, the two shouted in surprise and horror as the Skrill descended upon them. Latching his claws on Banshee's back, Wasatch then reached forward and bit down where Banshee's right wing connected to his body.

"Get off of hi- Agh!" Darien screamed, only to be cut off as Matt drove his fist across her mouth.

"Does a fist count as a weapon?" Matt lauded over her. Wasatch then let go of the Flightmare and his rider, and then continued to chase after them.

"We gotta get lower! They'll beat us if we fight up any higher!" Darien shouted, feeling her mouth feel numb from the strike. Looking to see the damage done by Wasatch's claws and teeth, she added "We can sneak away in one of the tunnels! We need to get you out of here!"

Banshee screeched in acknowledgement, starting to roll away and down.

"I thought you said you were going to beat me? Faster than before!" Matt teased loudly, seeing Darien roll to the right into a high-speed dive. He wasn't going to let them get away, alive at least! Diving after them as well, he positioned himself a little bit to the right, rather than right behind Banshee. Sure enough, just like last time, Banshee started to leave a trail of mist, hoping that Wasatch would fly through it.

Wasatch responded with a trick of his own, well, more like attack. Spinning in a circle, he let lightning run up and down his back. Seeing Banshee start to pull up from the dive, he fired a large lightning bolt at him, drilling him right in the wing.

Mist exploded from Banshee as he went into a violent spin and a downward spiral. Darien's balance was completely thrown, leaving her flailing her arms while spinning out of control. Banshee screeched in anger, trying to get control of his wings, but every time they'd spin, Darien's weight would over-rotate him. In a last-ditch effort, he threw all his weight against their rotation. Finally, able to stabilize himself, he pulled up and blasted right above a couple of trees. Darien was still trying to get her balance back, waving her arms like a windmill while slowly pulling herself up to stand straight up.

Matt let Wasatch surge right behind the two. Narrowing his eyes, he roared "I'm making right with my promise tonight, Darien! I'm going to kill you!"

Darien whirled around, staring at Matt with wide eyes and fear. She was going to lose. The fire on the island below had almost completely engulfed it, making it look like hell below. The orange glow from below and in the sky seemed to make Matt look demonic. Knowing that he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to kill her, she could only try to fly over some other Hunters and hope they could drive him away from her and Banshee. The enraged Skrill and rider were more than a match for her and Banshee. They were better in every way. Knowing that she was hopelessly beat, she guided Banshee in a different direction "This way, Bansh!" She shouted, banking left.

Matt's blood pumped through him, nulling all feeling and concerns. There she was. Darien. The one that caused so much pain and heartache, flying in a direction that would put in an easy shot. Even if he lost sight, Wasatch could not miss the opportunity that was presenting itself. "Go for her! The rider! Forget the dragon!" He screamed with a blood curling cry. His heart was pounding like a big bass drum! Even then, it couldn't contain the hate and anger surging through him. "For what she did to Heather! You kill her!" He screamed again! Then he saw it. Wasatch's eyes were burning white, just like Teton's. He was going berserk. The feeling between dragon and rider was mutual.

Wasatch screeched an eerie cry, one that pierced the night like a knife. Anyone listening would have thought that it was a ghost or an otherworldly thing.

Time slowed for Darien. Her head slowly turned to face the source of the wail, only to reveal Wasatch right behind her. His eyes were burning white with hatred and fury. A large electrical trail was following him, as well as a miniature storm raged under his wings. With one final second, Wasatch glared at Darien with his haunting, ghost, white eyes. Then the white flash.

Honestly, Darien didn't know what happened. Nor did she know where she was. She felt her body go limp, unable to respond to anything. She felt like she was floating. Unable to comprehend anything, she simply let herself go. If her eyes weren't already closed, she mentally let them. From the blinding white light, she then fell into an engulfing darkness, swallowing whatever consciousness she had.

* * *

Matt and Wasatch watched as Banshee tumbled down into the smoke below. His body was shaking as he realized it was over. He ended her. The size of the lightning bolt that Wasatch nailed her with, there was no way she could have survived it. It completely enveloped her body and a little bit of Banshee. He could not have been more dead on.

But more than that. He avenged Heather. He avenged Dagur. He avenged himself. He was the Dragon Boarder. There was no dispute about it now.

"Come on…let's see her body." He whispered, his body still shaking from the fight.

Wasatch growled quietly, letting the white eyes slowly dissipate, bringing back his normal brown eyes. Gliding slowly in a large circle, he let himself through the smoke screen below. Matt pulled up his goggles as he went through the smoke, lost in his thoughts.

Then, just as they cut through the black curtain, he saw a glowing dragon crashed below them. Strapped to the dragon by one homemade binding, was Darien. Sprawled over the ground, it was easy to see that one of the bindings was shattered. Either from impact from the ground, or the lightning bolt. Her clothes were all but charred and burned.

Wasatch landed a healthy distance away, knowing very well what he was staring at. Matt crouched low, staring at the girl that was from his world. She wasn't a challenge. She could never win a fight if she was met on equal ground. She only won fights when she had surprise on her side or the absolute advantage. And this fight proved that.

"No! NO! Darien!" A voice roared with a mix of hysteria and anger.

Both Matt and Wasatch turned to see Zekir limp towards them, glaring angrily at them.

"Who are you?! What did you do to her?!" He cried out angrily.

"I beat her. In a challenge." Matt replied quietly, with no remorse in his voice. Then, standing up straight on Wasatch, added loudly "My name's Matthew Haddock. And I'm the Dragon Boarder."

Zekir's eye twitched, staring at Matt "Matthew Haddock, I'll kill you for doing this to her!"

"You can try…" Matt whispered darkly, narrowing his eyes at him "I doubt you could even take three steps before getting your world lit up like Darien's was."

Zekir's eyes twitched vividly. Glaring at Matt and the Skrill he stood on, he then snarled "Don't doubt me. Your friend, Ukiah, doubted me earlier; and now he's suffering the consequence."

Matt's blood instantly iced up. Ukiah?! What happened to him?! Was he actually beat?! "Where is he?!" Matt roared, letting Wasatch take a step closer to Zekir.

"On the dock. Bleeding out. He should survive, but he'll have a headache and heartache from Helheim." Zekir growled. Seeing that Matt was equally furious about Ukiah as he was with Darien, he then whispered hoarsely "You're in the way of someone I want, and I'm in the way of someone you want. I'll let you pass if you let me get to Darien."

Matt quickly glanced back as where Banshee and Darien lay motionless. Even if she was still alive, her chances of staying alive were slim. And if she did, he broke her. She wouldn't be the same ever again. The same with Banshee. Looking back at Zekir, he growled "Deal. Walk slowly."

Zekir did a shallow, mock bow, his eyes trying to pierce through Matt's goggles. Walking ever so slowly past the snarling Skrill and silent rider, he then whispered "Here. A token of what I did to Ukiah." At that, he handed Matt the crossbow he held onto.

Matt's eye twitched as he grabbed the crossbow, though Zekir didn't see it. Seeing Zekir walk calmly past them, he then shouted "Go Wasatch! To the docks!"

Wasatch instantly surged forward, flying in the direction that Zekir came from.

Flying over a smoldering catapult, Matt gasped as he stared down at the docks right ahead of them. There lay Ukiah, and next to him was Arrow. Wasatch let out a shocked cry, seeing Arrow lay motionless next to Ukiah. Landing right next to the Sand Wraith, he let Matt unstrap himself and leap off of him.

Bolting to where Ukiah lay, he let out an audible gasp. Ukiah wasn't only beat, but his left arm was severed off at the shoulder. The sight made Matt sick to his stomach, which couldn't take the sight. Turning his head, he threw up over the side of the dock and into the water.

Gagging, Matt then pulled his goggles down to hang from his neck. Trying to stomach the sight, and ignore the smell from his vomit, he gently cradled Ukiah's head. Trying not to cry, he whispered "Why, Ukiah? Why did you go after him?!"

Wasatch lowered his head, gently pushing Arrow with his nose. Feeling his snout get coated in a warm liquid, he recoiled back in horror. He instantly picked up on Arrow's fate. Letting out a piercing wail, he screeched into the orange and black night, letting lighting rip through the sky. Their victory over Darien and Banshee, included a loss that could not be made up. They lost a dear friend, and potentially Ukiah too, if he didn't survive his new scar. A scar that would forever remind him of how he not only lost his dragon and best friend, but a piece of his soul too.

* * *

 ** _Holy cow...that was quite a chapter to write. I guess I'll find out how you all liked it. Or didn't like it. As I finished writing and reviewing this, I couldn't help but feel a little...tense. It's weird, but that's the best way I can describe it._**

 _ **I'll try to finish this story ASAP, but school is definitely the priority right now. Again, hope you enjoyed it! Have an awesome day!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	22. Chapter 22: Side Affects May Include

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: Side Affects May Include…**_

* * *

Thunder cracked over Dragon's Edge, with rain drizzling all over. The group had flown all night from Viggo's auction in a depressed manner. Not only with the event of Viggo succeeding in getting away with Berk's gold, but mainly the fact that Ukiah was beat by Zekir, and losing his arm and having Arrow being killed.

Matt slowly walked into the clubhouse, revealing Hiccup sitting on a crate with his head buried in his hands. Astrid was sitting right next to him, resting her hand on his back and trying to comfort him. Seeing Matt walk in, she quickly asked "How's Heather? Shouldn't you be with her?"

"Heather's still asleep. I'll be heading back to check on her in a second." Matt replied solemnly, brushing his hand through his hair to get the excess water out from the rain "Just here to tell you that the twins and Fishlegs finish placing Arrow in a small boat. Snotlout has the Nightmare Gel ready to set it ablaze. We're just waiting when Ukiah's able to start the service."

Hiccup looked up at Matt with tired, red eyes and asked "Where is he?"

"Still not awake. Gobber's watching over him after he cleaned up…you know, his arm. He doesn't know if Ukiah will be stable for sending Arrow out." He answered, his face saddening at the subject of Ukiah and Arrow "Gobber said he'll talk to you before he leaves. He wants to take Ukiah to Gothi to help him heal a little faster."

"Does my dad know what happened? Is he okay with Ukiah coming back?" Hiccup quizzed.

"Gobber said that he'd explain everything to Stoick, so that Ukiah won't be blamed for losing the gold." Matt continued to say "He promised that-"

"I promise Stoick won't end the lad." Gobber cut in, walking into the clubhouse with Grump. The fat dragon smiled happily, seeing Matt, Hiccup, and Astrid.

"Gobber! How's Ukiah? Were you able to close up…uh, his arm?" Astrid asked, looking up at him with surprise.

Gobber's face fell at the question, telling them the news. "He's…awake." He began to explain "But before you rush off to see him, you should know he wants to be alone. He's trying to prepare himself to send Arrow away."

"How hard is he taking it?" Matt asked timidly, unsure of what to expect.

"I don't know. He hasn't really said a word since he woke up. He only said that he wanted to be alone." He answered "That's why Grump and I came here. To tell you three that he's up."

Standing up, Hiccup then whispered "Gobber, Astrid and I need to see him. We need to talk to him. Why don't you tell him we're coming? Just to prepare him."

"I want to see him too." Matt began to say, squaring up to Hiccup.

"No. Just me and Astrid. We need to talk to him by ourselves." Hiccup explained, standing up from his seat "You check up on Heather. You need to stay with her." Turning to Gobber, he then said "Go ahead and let him know. We'll be there shortly."

Gobber nodded, turning and walking out. Grump followed closely behind him, still smiling at his new accommodations. Matt wanted to argue with him, but was stopped by Astrid.

"Please, Matt. It…it's best that it's just us two. If he's up to even seeing us." She whispered "I know that you want to help him, but we have a history of talking to him when he's…going through a rough time."

Matt just stared at the two, not wanting to comply. Reluctantly, he nodded as he turned and walked out "Fine. But let us know when he's able to have visitors. I know Heather will want to see him too."

Watching him walk towards his room, Hiccup then asked "How was Heather when you took her from Matt?"

"Hurt. She was beat up pretty bad from Darien, and I don't think they gave her even a drink of water." Astrid answered with a frown. Grabbing Hiccup's arm, she then guided him to the room where Ukiah was kept "She just needs some rest. And to be with Matt."

Hiccup nodded, walking alongside her. Pondering the visit to Ukiah, he then asked "How do you think he'll be? Ukiah I mean."

Astrid let out a long sigh, thinking of the last time Ukiah raged. "I don't know. I honestly don't know, Hiccup. He lost his arm, but I don't think that's going to be what haunts him the most."

"Arrow." He replied with a frown. The thought of losing that dragon was almost more than he could stand to think about. Arrow was a unique dragon; one that could not be replaced. Almost like Toothless. Anyone's dragons for that matter.

As the two walked around the corner and into Ukiah's room, they were shocked to see him sitting up on the edge of his bed with Gobber tenderly wiping the stub of where his arm was.

The sight made both Hiccup and Astrid sick to their stomachs. The end was closed off, thanks to Gobber's handiwork in stitching it closed. Though he closed it off, it was still red and had some blood slowly emerging from the end. Perhaps though, the more haunting sight, was Ukiah's solemn face. It looked drained, exhausted, and even with a touch of death mixed in the expression.

Not saying anything to greet or acknowledge his visitors, he simply stared blankly at the ground, waiting for Gobber to finish what he was doing.

"Ukiah?" Astrid whispered tenderly, slowly walking up to him with a saddened expression.

"Was it fast?" He whispered, still staring at the ground.

Confused at what he was asking, they just stared at him unsure of how to respond.

"Do you think Arrow died a quick death? That he wasn't suffering when Zekir took my arm?" He continued to say, finally looking up. His eyes were black, but not the same as when he was fighting. They were lifeless, with no light or sign of life in them. It seemed to radiate the depression that was filled inside of him.

Hiccup simply swallowed, still unsure of how to respond. Reluctantly, he answered what he felt would be best; a simple nod.

"Me too." Ukiah choked, tears filling his eyes "At least he's not here suffering like I am. Alone. Useless. A living shell."

Gobber took a step back as Astrid and Hiccup sat on both sides of him. Looking down at Hiccup, he whispered "After the service for Arrow, I'm taking him to Gothi. He needs to be checked up on by her."

Hiccup nodded, not saying anything in acknowledgement. Sitting there, he simply watched his friend battle through the consequences of the battle and fight with Zekir.

Gobber then turned and walked out, leaving the three with each other.

Before anyone could say anything, a soft, quizzical growl sounded off from behind them. Both Hiccup and Astrid turned to see Sleuther, the Triple Stryke, walk up slowly behind them. Looking at Ukiah with a concerned expression, he simply reached over with one of his pincers and gently gripped his arm.

"Sleuther hasn't left my side. I think he knows what happened to Arrow." Ukiah whispered, turning to look at the dragon that refused to leave him.

"Are you going to keep him?" Hiccup asked, watching Ukiah for his reaction.

"I am." Ukiah replied quietly, staring into Sleuther's eyes "He's not going to replace Arrow, but he'll remind me of what I'm going to fight for. And help me fight too."

"Let's…worry about fighting another day." Astrid quickly and quietly cut in, not wanting to chance enraging Ukiah "Let's remember Arrow for who he was. And the joys he brought us."

With tears starting to flow down his cheeks, Ukiah simply whispered "I'll never forget the first time I saw him. In my cave, alone and, what I thought, happy. He changed everything. He changed my views on life. He changed me from being a hunter, to a fighter." Closing his eyes in angst, he groaned "A fighter that let him down."

"Ukiah, you didn't let-" Hiccup began to say.

"I did though, Hiccup. I did." He quickly interrupted "I only lost one major fight, and that was with Zekir. Arrow was killed because I lost. I failed to end Zekir."

"If Arrow were here, he wouldn't blame you!" Astrid began to argue "You know he would have gladly given his life for you plenty of times before! Just like he knew you would for him!"

Ukiah didn't say anything. Returning his gaze at the floor, he simply sniffed as he tried to control his tears.

"Don't you believe that, Ukiah?" Hiccup asked, tagging onto Astrid's reasoning.

"You don't get it." Ukiah choked out, feeling Sleuther let go of his arm. Turning to see the dragon walk around his bed and in front of him, he whispered "Zekir didn't just beat me. I didn't just lose to him. I lost everything! He took away my ability to fight with a crossbow. The only weapon I'm skilled enough in to change a battle." Reaching over, he gently gripped his stub with his hand. His misting eyes narrowing, he growled quietly "He took my ability to protect others."

"You really think you can't protect others without an arm?" Hiccup asked, purposely putting his prosthetic foot out "I think Gobber will disagree with you. I'm sure Arrow would too."

Not taking his hand off where his arm used to be, Ukiah let a shallow nod come into view. "He would, wouldn't he?" He whispered, letting the faintest smile grow at the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that there was a little progress in his mood, Astrid then commented "Remember when we first pulled you and Arrow out of Strogg's arena? And how he had to carry you onto our ship?"

"I do. He was the reason why the escape was successful." Ukiah replied with a slight chuckle "He was more worried about me than he was about himself. Even when he was tied down and ready to be executed."

"I remember he'd get sand everywhere!" Hiccup added, smiling as they began to reminisce in their memories of Arrow "My boots, my notes, my hair! Everywhere!"

Astrid's smile widened as Ukiah began to visibly relax. "My personal favorite, was when he decided to take you for a ride the first time you got on him. I still haven't seen anyone dive into the ocean as fast as you two did."

"Heh, yeah. That was…something." Ukiah chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. The speed, the excitement, the terrorizing feeling he had. It was all coming back. That was the moment that changed his life. The moment he became a dragon rider.

"Ukiah, I know how much Arrow was part of you." Hiccup began to say, making him turn to face him "And I don't even know how I'd react if Toothless suffered the same fate. But I do know that he would want you to get back up, and do what you two did before."

Ukiah could only nod. His shallow smile slowly disappearing, he then quietly whispered "Still doesn't mean that it's easy to do." Looking up at Sleuther, who quizzically tilted his head and perked his ears up, Ukiah then whispered "But nothing me and Arrow did was easy. Either fighting Strogg for you, Hiccup; or being on the run for years, we never did easy things." Standing up from his seat, he let go of his stub and reached up to stroke Sleuther's neck.

Sleuther purred at the touch, closing his eyes and rubbing his head against Ukiah.

"You're not Arrow. And never will be." Ukiah whispered resolutely "But I'm willing to make memories with you…Lasher."

Sleuther's eyes opened up. Staring at Ukiah in confusion, he simply tilted his head again as if asking for an explanation.

"Lasher?" Hiccup asked, standing up next to Ukiah. Astrid did the same, raising an eyebrow at the new name.

"If I'm keeping him, I'm going to name him what I think is fitting." Ukiah explained "Lasher. I felt that was a better name for him since Tuffnut named him Sleuther." Looking at Lasher in the eyes, he then asked "Does that sound good to you…friend?"

Sleuther, or rather Lasher now, stood up tall on his hind legs. Looking as proud as he could, he simply roared in agreement. His triple tails then unraveled from each other and arched over him, all being in a position to strike

"I'd take that as a yes." Astrid commented, looking at Lasher with approval.

Ukiah nodded, reaching up with his arm and began to stroke Lasher's pincer. "I…I think I'm ready. Ready to send Arrow to Valhalla."

"I'll get the others." Hiccup began to say, turning walk away.

"No. I…I'd like it to just be us three." Ukiah whispered, stopping Hiccup from leaving "You two have always been there for me. Just like when I first learned the Crevites were murderers and killers. You two have been…a big support for me. I'd like to keep it just us."

Hiccup and Astrid glanced at each other. Nodding, Hiccup then said "For you, Ukiah, we'll be do it just us. But I know the others will feel bad and hurt for not being invited."

"It's not that I don't want them there. It's just that I don't know how I'll react. Or what I'll do." He whispered, ushering them to walk ahead of him "You've seen the best and worst in me. I'll feel more comfortable knowing that. I guess Gobber should come too. Since he…sealed my arm. And has helped me plenty times before."

Nodding, Hiccup and Astrid began to walk out, with Ukiah and Lasher close by. "Let's get going then." Hiccup replied "Let's pay our last respects to Arrow."

* * *

Hiccup, Astrid, and Gobber, along with all their dragons, stood behind Ukiah and Lasher. The ship was all prepared as Matt said. In the cove where Fishlegs discovered a Seashocker. Ukiah stood there with torch in hand, and remained still like a statue. No one wanted to rush him, or say anything. This was a man about to send his best friend, and frankly, the one that was as close to family as he'd ever get. The two bled for, and with each other. The bond between them could only be separated by death, which seemed to only be a thought, not a reality.

Not caring for the rain falling down on him, Ukiah let out an anguished cry, falling onto his knees. Unable to wipe the tears or water from his eyes, due to having only one arm, he simply wept as he continued to think of his friend.

Astrid and Hiccup were also crying, seeing how heart-broken Ukiah was. It was a sight neither of them wanted to see, nor an experience that they wanted to have. But fate had other plans, and whether they liked it or not, it was what had happened. Gobber himself was sniffling at the moment, feeling the pain that seemed to linger in the air.

"Gods…" Ukiah whispered "Please watch over my friend as he journeys to the other side of this life. That he will be guided and watched over on his path." At that, almost reluctantly, Ukiah reached forward and lit one of the jars of Nightmare gel on fire. The fire then followed a path that went up the center of the ship, around a wooden alter where Arrow's body lay covered by heavy blanket. The fire then ran up to the bow of the ship and stopped, letting the fire slowly spread all over the deck.

Lasher then growled as he leaned against the ship, pushing it with his pincers and tails. The ship slowly began to drift out into the center of the cove and towards the open ocean.

Seeing the ship slowly become engulfed by the fire, Ukiah then began to whisper just loud enough to be heard: "Friend. You saved me. You saved me not only from the countless enemies we faced, or from the hundreds of battles we waged, you saved me from myself. I cannot go on in this life, forgetting all that you did for me, and what we did together. I only have two regrets in this life. One, I failed to stop the one responsible for your death. Two, is that I did not fall myself. To join you in the halls of Valhalla, or where ever you went. And if you aren't there, but sent somewhere else, then I will not stop to rest until I find you. I'm forever going to be with you friend. Where ever you are, fly straight and tireless. I love you…Arrow."

Astrid quietly gripped Hiccup's arm, pulling him close to her. The words were haunting, and the thought of her losing anyone of her friends made a cold, helpless feeling rush over. Feeling him pull her into a hug, she simply cast her mind back to the fights before. Of all the victories they recently had, stopping the fighting pits, saving Sleuth- er, Lasher, getting Garff from the Hunters, even destroying several of Viggo's bases and trading routes, the loss of Arrow seemed to make it all worthless. In her mind, she resolved to not let anyone get hurt if it was in her control. Even then, she'd make sure her friends would be safe.

Ukiah stared at the ship that slowly disappeared into the distance. Dropping the torch into the water, he simply watched a piece of his life burn away. The fire seemed to create a burning feeling in his body. One he felt before. Vengeance.

Letting the feeling fuel his hatred, he then whispered to himself "I'll not be idle, Arrow. I'll send Zekir the Black Heart to Helheim. Even if it's the death of me too."

Gobber, seeing Ukiah hang his head down, slowly walked up to him. Resting his hand on his one shoulder, he then gently whispered "Time to go, Ukiah. We need to let Gothi take a look at the patch up work I did."

Breathing to vent his anger and hate, Ukiah simply nodded "I'm ready." Turning to Hiccup and Astrid, he then whispered "Tell the others bye for me. I don't know when I'll be back."

"We'll be down at Berk in a few days." Hiccup replied, nodding in agreement "But I will pass the message."

"Thank you. And tell Heather that I'm glad she's ok. And that I don't blame her for what's happened. Her, or Matt." Ukiah added, slowly climbing on Lasher. Arrow's saddle seemed to mesh well on Lasher, making easier to adjust to riding a different dragon.

"We'll tell them." Astrid affirmed, walking up to Ukiah. Staring at him in the eyes, she then whispered "Ukiah…know that we care about you. And are willing to help you in whatever way we can." Then, a lot quieter so that only Ukiah could hear, whispered "Even if it means me going with you to hunt down Zekir."

Ukiah's blood froze. Turning to Astrid, he saw the resolve in her eyes. She meant it. Staring at her in surprise, he then nodded. Looking at Gobber, he then said "Let's go. Let's see how hard it is for me to adjust to one arm."

"Right this way." Gobber announced, letting Grump fly up and away.

Sending one last look to Hiccup and Astrid, Ukiah then let Lasher launch after Grump.

Watching their friend leave with Gobber, Hiccup and Astrid simply stood there until they disappeared. Standing on the shore of the cove, they then watched the last of the smoke from Arrow's ship disappear.

* * *

"Urgh…huh?" Heather groaned, her eyes starting to flutter open. Trying to get her vision to clear up, she looked up from where her head lay. Staring out of the doors that led out of her room, she watched the rain fall onto the deck outside. For some reason, she was on the main floor of hers' and Matt's room. Sighing, she closed her eyes as she tried to recall what happened. She remembered being passed off by Matt to Astrid, and then maybe because of the stress of not knowing what was happening between Matt and Darien, or the fact that she was finally freed from the Hunter's, she either passed out, or Astrid knocked her out for trying to fight her about Matt's decision to stay and fight.

Groaning, she turned to see a plate of cooked chicken, bread, and mug of mead on a night stand next to her. Then the sight that made her whimper in relief. Matt was sitting in a chair next to her, asleep and tucked into a ball.

"Matt…" She called out weakly, smiling at the sight.

Matt stirred, but still didn't open his eyes.

Shaking her head slightly with her crooked smile, she then joked "Matt…can you get me that drink?" Relishing in seeing him, and now knowing he was okay from his challenge with Darien, she simply waited for his reaction that she was now awake.

"Mmmhmmm." He replied incoherently. Shifting in his chair, he simply stretched his arms as he tried to wake up. Blinking to adjust to the light, he stared at Heather for a moment, not realizing what was going on. Then it hit him. "Oh! What! Heather!" He shouted, springing from his chair and towards her.

Heather laughed lightly, seeing him quickly sit himself right next to her, though her body suddenly gave her grief. Groaning, she then tried to sit up against her bed rest.

"When did you wake up?!" He cried out, reaching and helping her sit up "I was trying so hard to stay awake!"

"I just barely woke up." She laughed, letting him help her. Grimacing as her aching body continued to tell her to take it easy, she looked at Matt and whispered "You're okay? Nothing serious happened to you?"

"Shh…shhh…" Matt whispered, grabbing her in a hug. Letting her head rest in his shoulder, he continued to say "I'm fine. We all got out."

"Matt…" She whispered, weakly wrapping her arms around him. Trying to squeeze back with equal vigor, she then cried "I thought I'd never get to do this again…"

Matt didn't say anything. Holding her in his arms, he simply let the moment be. She was still everything to him. Even with his own meltdown, he knew she was the one that was the key to his life. "Heather…" He choked out "I'm sorry for what I did. With hiding Dagur, trying to cut off our relationship, to just being me. I'm so sorry…please, please forgive me."

"Matt, what's to forgive?" Heather asked, equally quiet. Pulling away from him, she stared at him in the eyes as she explained "I wasn't right in my actions either. I messed up thinking that you didn't care about me." Letting tears emerge from her eyes, she whispered "I learned very quickly, and pretty harshly, that I didn't care to live without you. I…I love you, Matt."

"I love you too, Heather." Matt choked, tears also flooding his eyes.

As the two stared into each other's eyes, they both simultaneously moved forwards and kissed each other. Matt held her tighter as they made contact, holding the moment as long as he could. The kiss seemed to melt all the worries and past events away. All he cared about was her, and being with her from then on.

"Matt…thank you." She whispered, finally pulling away from him. Leaning back against her bed rest, she whispered "Thank you for coming back for me. And more importantly, back to me. I was so hurt when you wanted to call it off, that I couldn't even really think straight."

"That's why I asked you to forgive me. I'm so sorry Heather." Matt began to say "I just wanted you to be happy."

"You always make me happy. I promise that's a truth…" She replied, smiling as she leaned against the head board, her stomach suddenly growled loudly, interrupting the moment they were having.

"How long has it been since you've eaten?" Matt asked, grabbing the plate of food next to her.

"A couple of days now…" She answered weakly, forcing a smile on her face "I guess that's why I've been so weak lately."

"You think?" He replied, shaking his head at the thought of her not being fed. Handing her the plate with food on it, he held onto the mug until she was ready.

Slowly taking a bite out of the chicken, she relished in both the taste and flavor of the much needed food. "You have no idea how amazing this tastes…" She whispered, closing her eyes in relief.

"I can imagine what it's like." He replied with a smile. Handing her the mug, he simply sat next to her.

"So…aren't you going to tell me what happened?" She asked, taking a long drink. Wiping her mouth, she then raised an eyebrow as she added "I'm sure it wasn't easy for you to get away."

Matt silently gazed down at the floor, knowing the news about Arrow and Ukiah would shock her.

"Matt? What happened between you and Darien?" She asked, concerned with the silence.

"A lot happened last night when we all separated." He began to say, looking at her in the eyes "First, Hiccup wasn't able to get Berk's gold back. It was what we used to get Ukiah undercover at the auction."

"How much gold was…uh, lost?" She asked hesitantly.

"All of it. All of Berk's cache was taken." He explained, closing his eyes in angst at the thought "We lost it."

"We'll get it back. One way, or another." She replied in a caring tone. Then with an anxious expression, asked "What about you and Darien? What happened between you two?"

Matt took a deep breath as he recalled the fight. It was so one-sided, that it could barely be called a fight. Matt flew expertly against her, and Wasatch was relentless in his attacks. "Heather. Darien isn't going be a threat anymore…"

Heather gasped at the news. Staring at him with wide eyes, she set the plate back on the nightstand. Shifting herself painfully to sit up straighter, she asked "What happened?!"

Shrugging, Matt slightly looked away from her gaze, saying "I challenged her. I rode Wasatch, and we ended her." Narrowing his eyes, he then growled "If she somehow survived, or survives those burns, she'll never be the same." Reaching and grabbing her hands, Matt then whispered "I promise that she'll never hurt you again. Anyone we care about for that matter."

"Matt…" Heather whispered, feeling as if a weight was being lifted "She's really gone? You finally stopped her?"

"I fulfilled my promise to her. I didn't stop her. I ended her." Matt growled as he stared down at the floor "I…I don't regret doing what I did. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. That I didn't stop her earlier. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone…well, with what you went through."

Heather rested her hand on his knee, looking him in the eye. "Matt, what's done is done. You pulled me out of that situation for the countless time, and we disrupted Viggo's auction. We all came back safe and sound. Who cares if I got beat up a little?"

Matt went stiff, knowing he still needed to tell her about Ukiah and Arrow. He still had no idea of how to tell her.

Noticing him tense up, she looked at him with concern "What's wrong?"

"Heather…I don't know how to tell you this." He began to say. Looking at her in the eyes with tears beginning to form, he then choked out "It's about Ukiah and Arrow."

Heather gasped, already thinking the worst. "No. Don't tell me their gone! Please tell me that isn't what this is about!"

"Heather. Ukiah…Ukiah fought Zekir. He…" Matt couldn't get the words out to finish his thought. Remembering the haunting sight of seeing his arm severed off, Matt just looked away from her. The sick feeling began to linger in his stomach. Honestly, he felt like he could throw up again just reliving the experience. Then seeing Arrow's body.

"He what? Tell me he didn't get killed!" Heather cried out, ignoring her body's pain and soreness "Where is he?!"

"He…lost, Heather. He lost the fight to Zekir." Matt whispered, clenching his eyes shut as he finally broke the news to her "Zekir didn't kill him, but…he took his arm. Ukiah lost his left arm."

"No…" Heather gasped, looking at him in horror.

"But what's worse…I'm sorry Heather, but Zekir…Zekir killed Arrow. Arrow's dead…" Matt sobbed, gripping his knees to help him fight to depression and anger that was riveting through him.

"No! No!" Heather cried out, pulling the blankets off of her. Reaching forward, she grabbed Matt and jerked on him, yelling "Tell me it's not true! Please!"

"Heather…it's true." Matt choked, grabbing her in a hug and pulling her into him "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Sobbing into Matt's shoulder, she simply didn't move, unable to really comprehend that they actually lost someone. With a broken voice, she asked "Was it because of me? Was he fighting because I was captured?"

Before Matt could answer, a voice called out from outside their doorway. "No. It wasn't because of you."

Both Matt and Heather turned to see Hiccup and Astrid walk in from the rain. Not bothering to shake off the excess water, the two just looked at them with a sadden expression.

"It's not your fault, Heather. He wanted to make sure you knew that." Hiccup continued to say, walking up to where Heather lay "He doesn't blame any of us for what happened."

Heather just stared at him with tears in her eyes. Not able to say anything, she simply looked away from his gaze.

"Is he doing better? Are we able to see him?" Matt asked with a hopeful expression.

"I think he's doing better. But no, you can't see him." Hiccup began to say, taking a seat on one of the few chairs nearby "He…left with Gobber."

"He left?! Without saying goodbye?! Or sending Arrow away?!" Matt cried out in shock and a little bit of anger.

"He didn't want a crowd when he sent Arrow. We just came back from doing it." Hiccup explained, looking at Matt with sadness "It was his one wish, so who were we to deny him that."

Matt just glared at Hiccup, upset that Ukiah would do that. Letting out a vented sigh, he simply shook his head and looked down. Heather looked completely distraught, still coming to terms that Arrow was gone, and that Ukiah would never be the same.

"Gobber's taking him to Gothi to make sure the stitching was good enough." Hiccup continued to explain "We'll be going to Berk in a few days as well. To check up on him, and to kind of recover."

Matt just nodded, still staring at nothing. "Was it a good service?" He asked.

"It…was tough." Astrid commented, taking a seat on the other side of Heather's bed. Resting her hand on Heather's knee, she asked "How are you feeling? It's good to see you finally awake."

"I…I've been better." Heather admitted, sounding defeated and hurt "I just…I can't believe that Arrow is actually gone…" Looking up at Astrid, she whispered "How is Ukiah? I can't imagine what he's going through."

"He'll be fine. He's going to need some time to recover from losing Arrow, but he's trying to be able to cope with the loss." She answered, smiling at Heather "I think you being safe is actually helping him."

Heather just nodded, still hoping she wasn't the reason why Ukiah was suffering so much.

Hiccup watched his friends as they started to settle down. Matt continued to stare at the floor, though looking slightly angry. Astrid was busy with Heather, making sure she was comfortable; while Heather herself continued to ponder the news. Sighing, he then said "Guys, can I say something?"

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Astrid asked, turning to look at him with confused expression. Matt and Heather were also staring at him, wondering what he was going to say.

"We…we took some pretty big hits recently." Hiccup began to say "But we have to look at what we did accomplish. I feel like we focus way too much on the bad things that's happened to us, that we forget the good things that we've had."

"Like what?" Matt asked, trying to not sound sarcastic.

"How about the fact that Ukiah is back with us?" Hiccup began to list "That he's part of us and still a friend. We did lose Arrow, and Ukiah lost his arm; but we still have Ukiah with us. He's still a friend that cares about us, and we care about him!" Gesturing to Heather, he added "Thanks to you in tricking him to come here, he's been back in our lives as a blessing." Looking at Matt, he then added "I don't care what happened, but us saving Heather was a win. She was sold to Zekir and going to be on a trip to Thariin. We saved her from that fate. Not to mention a big win for us. You stopped Darien. She was a huge player for Viggo, and now she's no more."

"Was it worth it though? Arrow and Ukiah's arm?" Matt asked, frowning at the thought.

"Was stopping the Red Death worth it for me?" Hiccup asked, lifting his prosthetic up. Seeing Matt not say anything, he quickly added "I'm not saying that we ignore what we lost. Arrow will be irreplaceable. His death will always leave a void in our hearts." Pulling off the prosthetic, he then explained "But if we focus on what we lost, we're going to miss what we gained. I lost my foot, but gained a better life because of it." Gesturing to Matt he asked "Do you regret choosing to stay here and not going back to your home? I'm sure you had plenty of good things back there."

Matt let a small smile grow on his face as he lightly shook his head "I did have an amazing life back there, but you're right. I chose to stay here for a reason." Looking at Heather, he added "I definitely gained more staying here than if I went back."

"Me too." Heather whispered, finally letting a smile grow on her face. Looking at Hiccup, she then commented "Thanks, Hiccup. I guess we needed that."

"It's ok to mourn." Hiccup replied, standing up and walking over to the bed. Resting a hand on both Matt and Heather, he explained "We need to, in order to value those that have passed on. But when it becomes our sole purpose in existing, well, life begins to feel like it isn't worth living."

Matt nodded, knowing Hiccup was telling the truth. "For Arrow's and Ukiah's sake, we'll live for them, rather than just mourn for them."

"Together." Astrid added, smiling as she stood up.

Heather then gently rested her hand on Matt's making him look at her. "Together…" She whispered, her signature smirk growing on her face.

Smiling, Matt nodded as he shifted himself to be lying next to her. Holding her close, he, Hiccup, and Astrid began to talk about the recent adventures, and what they learned and gained, rather than what was taken from them.

* * *

"Viggo…" Zekir greeted, seeing him walk out of the room Darien was kept in.

"Zekir." Viggo replied, sounding short and frustrated "I guess you're curious as to her condition?"

"The entire reason why I haven't left yet." Zekir growled, folding his arms and glaring at him. The Black Heart still stood up straight, regardless of the numberless bandages wrapped around him. His entire right arm was wrapped up, being that Ukiah really did a number on it with his dagger. Several cloths were secured to his chest, being the bolts that had slightly pierced his chest plate. However, the young chief looked more like a leader and warrior than even before.

"We don't know if she'll make it." Viggo growled, his eyes narrowing angrily "She was a fool to try and fly against Matt."

"She fought him before. She thought she could do it again!" Zekir growled, not liking the tone in Viggo's voice.

"But to accept the challenge when I specifically ordered her to protect the Night Fury? That was poor judgement." Viggo huffed back, walking past Zekir "As far as our business goes, I agreed to supply you with dragons. You'll have your first shipment arrive in the middle of next month."

"I'm not here to talk about our deal." Zekir growled, stopping in front of Viggo and cutting him off "I'm here for Darien."

"She's not for sale, and I'm not giving up my chief lieutenant to you." Viggo growled, his eyes narrowing at him.

"I have access to hundreds of different healers back at Thariin." Zekir growled, not standing aside for Viggo "You can risk her life by keeping her here in your filthy, and frankly, bland ship; or you can send her with me to get all kinds of treatments. Thariin is a hub for all kinds of traders and travelers that would have exotic knowledge on how to treat those burns. She'll be comfortable while recovering in my keep. She can relax and not need to worry about rats trying to eat her!"

Viggo glared at him with fire in his eyes. The answer was simple, no.

"And when she's recovered, you'll not only have her and her dragon back, but she'll have me and a fleet of fifty ships; all loaded for war." Zekir growled "We have common enemies. You have Hiccup Haddock, and I have his brother Matthew Haddock. I'm simply telling you that I have the better chance to keep her alive."

Viggo looked down at Zekir, still angry with a few of the insults. But the promise of having Thariin's fleet back them up was a tempting agreement. Looking back at the door of where Darien was being tended to, he then growled "For her sake, I'll agree to that." Whipping his head back at Zekir, he growled "But I expect cooperation from you when she's recovered. Understand?"

"You misheard me. I said she'll have my fleet. I'll simply be there helping her." Zekir growled. Holding a finger up, he hissed "Be careful, Viggo. You need not only to worry about me and my men, but also my…associates. Have you heard of a man named King Bruvos? He runs the kingdom east of me, and is my strongest asset. So, don't think your special with this agreement between the hunters and Thariin!" Folding his arms, he then hissed "Apparently, I need to remind you that I'm nothing like Strogg. I will not be played like you played him! I may be young, but I'm not stupid. You've clearly shown me that money is what you value, not friends or allies. You don't even care about Darien. You're too concerned with your lost Night Fury! I'm not going to let you use and abuse her."

Viggo's eyes narrowed at the accusation.

"You let her come with me, and let her choose to continue to work with you. If not, then I'll simply use my fleet and army against you to take her for myself! Assuming she lives under your care. Contrary to what others say about you, I'm not scared of you. You're a hunter, not a soldier or warrior. We will crush you."

"I see…" Viggo whispered, seeing that Zekir was not emotional and manipulative like his father "Fine. Take Darien. But I expect to receive letters on her recovery and well-being. You did see through me, in that I wanted to use Thariin for my own personal reasons and gains. But you're wrong about Darien. She was and is invaluable to me. I never used her, nor would put her in a position where she would be hurt."

"Whatever you say, I won't believe it." Zekir growled, turning to walk away.

"It's true. You can ask her yourself." Viggo replied loudly, watching Zekir walk away "I told her not to fly against Matt unless I knew she had the absolute advantage. That's why she won the first time."

Zekir stopped, turning to stare at Viggo.

"Why do you think I ordered her to take care of the Night Fury instead of stopping the riders? It wasn't because I was only concerned about having him, but it was to keep her from fighting the Riders. She's hard headed, and didn't see that they had years of experience over her. I didn't want her to fight because she was going to lose from the very start.

Zekir just glared at him, seeing the truth in his words.

"I do value treasures and riches. Even over some individuals." Viggo agreed, not hiding the fact that it was his primary goal "But you don't realize that in order for me to achieve that, I need friends like Darien and my brother Ryker. I need friends like you, Chief Zekir."

Zekir pursed his lips, finally seeing Viggo's ultimate motive and drive.

"Send your men for Darien, I'll have her prepared to be taken on your ship." Viggo continued to say "Just make sure she lives. I don't think I'll be able to get another dragon rider as an ally.

"Viggo. Wait." Zekir called out, walking over to him "Apologies for my rant. A lot of what I said was uncalled for." Seeing Viggo scowl at him, he then clarified "I still stand by what I said. I want to kill Matt Haddock for doing this to Darien. I'll help you end Hiccup Haddock if that puts me in a position to end his brother myself."

"Right now, Zekir. Let's just focus on keeping Darien alive." Viggo replied, his scowl softening "As far as Matt goes, I have an idea that might put him in a position for you. But, until then, take Darien and wait for my word."

"Thank you, Viggo. I know we're both upset about Darien." Zekir commented "I'll have Ugo and a couple of my men pick her up. We'll be gone before the hour is through."

"Safe travels, Zekir the Black Heart." Viggo called out "Let's enjoy the benefit of being each other's friend and ally."

"Agreed. May your fortune be a good one." Zekir called out, walking out of view.

Frowning, Viggo then walked into his cabin on the ship. Shutting the door behind him, he walked up to his set of Maces and Talons. Staring down at it, he glared at the traitor piece. Slowly, ever so slowly, he picked it up and observed it. "All this time, I was sure it was Heather. Now, after the past night, I now know who it is." His frown disappeared into a smile as he looked out of his one window, watching the infinite sea "Heheheh…who knew that you, Matt. You would be the key player in mine and Hiccup's little game."

* * *

 **Here you go! I'm trying to finish this before the new season comes out. That way I won't feel so bad, or as rushed. Well, any more rushed than Feb 17th. Hope you liked where it went. There's at least one chapter left. And at most, two. Thanks for all the support! Have a great day!**

 **-Dustnblood**


	23. Chapter 23: No Rest for the Weary

**Chapter Twenty-Three: No Rest for the Weary...**

* * *

"So…am I good to go?" Ukiah whispered hoarsely, turning to look at Gothi, who was still wiping the stub.

Gothi took a step back and nodded. Grabbing her stick, she began write on the ground.

Ukiah simply waited for Gobber to translate for him.

"She says that you'll be fine. She cleaned the end and re-stitched it shut so that the skin will close around the bone." Gobber began to say, staring at the writing.

"Great. Thanks." Ukiah whispered hoarsely. Turning, he looked at the cleaned-up stub. A white cloth was neatly wrapped tightly around it, protecting it while it finally sealed itself closed. Staring at the stub, he then whispered "At least it was less painful than when you tried to pull that arrow out of the same shoulder."

Gothi let a soft smile grow on her face, recalling the first time she attended him. When he took an arrow in the shoulder when Thariin soldiers tried to sneak a small force behind Berk's defensive line.

Gothi then continued to write on the stone ground of the Great Hall. Since Ukiah arrived, Stoick instructed him to remain there until he was ready to deal with him. Gobber then left to tell Stoick what had happened entailing Berk's gold. Ukiah thought that he'd be banished again, if not executed for losing the gold, but Gobber came back with a smile, telling him that Stoick would coming to discuss Ukiah's future with Berk.

"Gothi's saying that you need to keep going day to day in order to completely adjust to using one arm." Gobber began to say aloud "Just keep doing the things you would normally do."

"Things I'd normally do…" Ukiah repeated, a frown starting to form on his face. The thought of Arrow began to resurface, not that it was ever really hard for him to go back. Normally, he'd go hunting with Arrow. Usually gliding silently along treetops, watching for anything that would have been spooked or trying to hide from them.

"Come on, Ukiah. You can help me at the forge. Perhaps we can find a new dagger or sword for you." Gobber called out, seeing Ukiah slowly withdraw into his thoughts. "Maybe we can even tweak Lasher's saddle for you."

"Oh, uh, sure." Ukiah replied, shaking his head to return to the present. Trying to fight the tears, he stood up from the bench he was sitting on "If Stoick doesn't kill me on the way."

"I told ya' lad. He promised not to kill you when he comes talk to you." Gobber reminded, frowning at the topic "He just has to make sure he's going to act as the Chief of Berk, not as Stoick the Vast."

"Still makes me nervous." Ukiah huffed, checking to make sure his dagger was strapped to his hip. Turning to Gothi, he then thanked her "Thanks, Gothi. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you were willing to make sure I was doing alright."

Gothi smiled as she slightly bowed to Ukiah.

At that, Lasher walked up to his new rider. Tilting his head in curiosity, he sniffed the new bandages on Ukiah's stub.

"Just to make sure I'm healing properly." Ukiah explained, reaching up and stroking Lasher's neck "This isn't Gothi's first time dealing with me. Huh?"

"Nope. It isn't." Gobber chuckled, seeing Gothi roll her eyes at the subject.

Suddenly the doors opened up, revealing a stern looking Stoick. Ukiah suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Seeing the angry looking chieftain marching towards him, he couldn't help but think he'd be joining Arrow in a few moments.

"Stoick." Gobber greeted, also sounding like a warning to not lose his temper.

"Ukiah. Come with me." Stoick growled, ignoring Gobber and Gothi "We need to have a talk."

"…let's get to it then…" Ukiah mumbled, following Stoick as he turned to walk back out of the Great Hall. Giving Gobber one last look, he then walked out of the doorway and let Stoick shut the door. The sun was high noon, with clear skies and warm temperatures. Well, relatively warm.

Stoick stared at his village below, watching men and women run about, doing miscellaneous chores and jobs.

Ukiah shifted uncomfortably, knowing Stoick was stewing in his thoughts. The only slight comfort he had, was Lasher, who had followed him out and was standing right behind him.

"What happened, Ukiah." Stoick asked, not turning to look at him.

Looking at him in shock, Ukiah quickly replied "I thought Gobber told you alread-"

"I want you to tell me what happened." Stoick growled, finally turning to glare at the kid he adopted to Berk. His eyes were set as stone, being unmoving and unflinching. They seemed to do the interrogating for him.

Sighing, Ukiah looked ahead. Tears were starting to come to his eyes as he began to explain "I went to Viggo's auction with the intention of helping my friends. I lost the gold you entrusted me with, lost my arm, and lost…" Ukiah choked up as he forced out "Arrow…"

Stoick never took his eyes off of him, but kept on studying the boy he swore to protect. "That was all? That was all that happened?"

Shutting his eyes as the memory of Arrow continued to pain him, he forced himself to nod.

"I don't believe your telling me everything, Ukiah." Stoick growled, narrowing his eyes.

Feeling like something punched him in the gut, Ukiah quickly whipped his head towards Stoick with a fearful expression.

"I think other things happened, thanks to you." He began to explain "For one, you helped Hiccup and the others stop Viggo's auction. You saved a number of dragons, and stopped Viggo from getting any more gold than he did with ours." Seeing Ukiah just stare at him in wonder, he continued to say "I understand you saved Heather? You fought the man that could potentially bring another war to Berk. You were willing to die helping my son, and you're still willing to help; even with your…losses."

Ukiah quickly looked away, ashamed to be crying in front of Stoick.

"Ukiah...for your sacrifice, and what you're willing to do for my son, me, and all of Berk; including those that live here, I forgive you." Stoick said quietly, watching Ukiah's reaction carefully.

Ukiah's head whipped back to Stoick a second time. His red, tear-stained eyes looked at him in shock. "Bu-But what abou-"

"What you did was hard to deal with. That's what was taking me so long to come talk to you." Stoick explained, stopping Ukiah's sentence "But given what you were willing to do, what you've recently done for not only Hiccup, but Matt and the others as well, I'd be an unjust chief if I ignored all that."

"Stoick…I…I'm sorry for what I did." Ukiah choked out "Trust me when I say it haunted me from the first night I was alone."

"I believe you. You've always been honest with everyone you've dealt with." Stoick acknowledged. Then, looking at Ukiah in the eye, he added "I'm sorry, Ukiah. I'm sorry with what happened to you and Arrow."

Ukiah let his head hang low. Staring at the stone steps that led down to the village, he whispered "I…I don't know how I'm going to do it. How I'm going to move on without him." Looking up at Lasher, he quickly added "Lasher will be a friend, but he's not Arrow."

"You shouldn't forget your friend. Especially as you continue to live in this world." Stoick began to council "But I do know that Arrow would expect you to live for him. Not wallow in depression that he's gone." Grabbing Ukiah by his armless shoulder, he then quietly added "It's what's helped me get through being a father to Hiccup. His mother would have been proud of him, and I try to let him continue to live his life that would make her happy."

Ukiah looked up at Stoick with a resolute expression, though he still had tear stains on his face.

"Now, I have one question." Stoick began to say, fumbling for something strapped to his belt "Hiccup told me that you were originally looking for your native island, Crev. Why?"

Ukiah let out a sigh as he turned to look over the village below "To try and end myself…"

Stoick raised an eyebrow at the answer, unsure of what he meant.

"I wanted to kill off the Ukiah that almost killed Hiccup and Astrid. The one that loses himself and gives in to his 'blessing'. I wanted to find my old village and see for myself that I have no future as a Crevite. But to learn for myself that I'm a Berkian. Adopted by you and your tribe when I was seventeen. I wanted to see that Ukiah the last Crevite, died with his tribe; and that to know that I'm Ukiah from Berk. A friend and protector to those he cared about."

Stoick nodded in approval. Pulling out a scroll, he then handed it to Ukiah. "Then go. Put an ease to your mind. And then come home."

Ukiah stared at the scroll. Gently taking it, he unrolled it as best he could with his one arm. As soon as he was able to open it, he gasped as he found himself staring at some drawings. It was a map! A map to Crev! "Wh- How did you get this?!" He stuttered, staring at the ink.

"I was the one that helped Strogg raid Crev. I never forgot where it was." Stoick answered, turning to face the village "Think of it as the last way I can put out that sting of guilt for what I did, and finally leave it behind without it haunting me."

"Stoick…Thank you." Ukiah whispered hoarsely.

"I have a pack full of supplies all ready for you at my house. Take it and get out of here. Go find Crev, and hopefully, the answers you're looking for." Stoick instructed, starting to walk away "Good luck, Ukiah. I hope you find the peace you've been searching and hoping for."

"Thank you, Stoick. I hope the same." Ukiah replied, watching him leave. Rolling the scroll back up with one hand, taking a little bit longer than usual, he thought of what Stoick had given him. He potentially gave him all the answers that meant something to him. His last name. What his island was like. And ultimately, a way to close this dark chapter of his life. "Come on, Lasher. We can camp at Dragon Island before the sun sets." He whispered, seeing Stoick disappear behind a building. "Thank you, Stoick. Thank you for being…being the father I never had." He whispered, recalling all the times Stoick mentored him. Letting out a long sigh, he then whispered "Wish you were with me, Arrow. This was our journey. But now I have to finish it. Not without you, but for you. For us."

* * *

"Easy. Easy." Matt said, stepping backwards and ready to catch Heather if needed.

"Ugh, come on, Matt." She growled angrily "I'm not lame. I can still walk! Just have to get used to the soreness." At that, she stood up straighter and slightly sped up her pace, walking past Matt.

Windshear let out a roar of happiness, seeing that her rider was walking on her own. Overcome with excitement, she quickly nuzzled against Heather, almost knocking her down.

"Windshear!" She laughed, feeling herself lose balance. Able to catch herself, she felt Matt rush behind her and grab her.

"You ok?" He asked, looking down at her with concern.

Laughing, Heather elbowed him in the stomach, making him back off. "I'm fine! I'm stronger than I was yesterday!" She laughed, standing up straight and starting to pet Windshear "How are you doing girl? I was so worried about you!"

Windshear's green eyes lit up as Heather began to stroke her. Growling softly, she simply rubbed against her to appreciate that she was back. And getting healthier.

"Jeez, why don't you just shove me to the ground next time?" Matt huffed, recovering from the elbow. Feeling something bump him in the back, he turned to see Wasatch and Teton looking at him curiously, as if wondering why they weren't flying, or at least trying to wakeboard.

"Not today guys." Matt quickly explained "Gotta help Heather out."

Teton snorted, angry that they weren't going to go riding. Wasatch also seemed annoyed at denial. Grunting, he simply arced a small bolt into Matt, making jump back.

"Argh!" He cried, not expecting it. Unintentionally, he jumped into Heather, who promptly fell over.

"Oof!" She grunted, hitting the deck "Thanks, Matt. Trying to get better and you're already pushing me down."

"Sorry! Are you alright?" He asked, springing to his feet and pulling her up. His leg then lit up with pain, making him grimace uncomfortably."

"Great. Your leg bothering you?" She asked, getting her balance back.

"Yeah, not wearing the brace." He explained, forcing a smile "Didn't think I'd need it."

Before she could lecture him, a voice drew both their attention. "It's good to see you walking, Heather." Hiccup called out while walking down a ramp. Astrid was walking alongside him, with Stormfly and Toothless walking closely behind.

"Probably could have walked around yesterday." Heather laughed, lightly jumping up and down "It's incredible how different you feel when you get something to eat, and actually get some rest."

"Plus no one beating on you." Astrid added, gently pointing at the cut on her cheek.

"Nah, Matt's been doing that." Heather teased, smirking at him.

"That was Wasatch's fault. Not mine." He excused, rolling his eyes at the joke.

"Come on, let's get some lunch over at the clubhouse." Hiccup suggested, gently pushing both Matt and Heather towards it "Let you stretch your legs a little more."

"And your arms!" Matt teased, smirking back at Heather.

"Ugh, that got old really fast." Heather groaned, scowling at the memory of being tied up. Stretching her arms out, she huffed "I bet they felt brave when I couldn't defend myself."

"They're hunters. Of course they did." Astrid growled, shaking her head at the thought of hunters beating on their prisoners.

"Hey, it's over. And more importantly, the one who captured Heather is no longer a threat." Matt spoke up, wanting to change the subject "Besides, I have a feeling we're far from being done with Viggo and Ryker."

Hiccup nodded, knowing that their little war with the hunters wasn't really over. As the group turned into the clubhouse, the rest of the riders were already there and were smiling as they saw Heather walking on her own.

"Heather!" Fishlegs called out excitedly, making the rest turn to see her walk in "You're walking! And looking better!"

"Ah, that's kind of you say." Heather replied, smiling as she gently brushed the cut on her cheek "It's good to see you too, Fishlegs."

"Heather! I was so worried about you!" Snotlout quickly jumped in, butting in-between her and Matt "I sank three ships on our way out, just to make sure you and Astrid had a safe escape!"

Matt groaned and rolled his eyes, walking past him and getting a plate for him and Heather.

"Really? Well that was kind of you, Snotlout." Heather replied, trying to be kind to him.

Before Snotlout could follow up, a Terrible Terror flew through the clubhouse, knocking off his helmet which crashed into the center fireplace. The Terror then smoothly landed on Hiccup, cooing at him.

"Agh! My favorite helmet!" Snotlout cried out, trying to pull it out of the fire.

"What the?" Hiccup called out, staring at the Terror on his shoulder. Seeing a letter tied to its leg, he quickly snatched it and began to read it.

"What is it?" Matt asked, seeing Hiccup's eyebrows raise up in surprise.

"Is it from your dad, Stoick?" Heather asked, walking over to Matt "Is Berk under attack?"

Hiccup said nothing, except he glanced up at Matt and stared at him with concern. Shaking his head, he then returned back to the letter.

"Hiccup…talk to us." Astrid called out, seeing his eyebrows furrow in a mixture of confusion and anger.

"It's from Viggo." He announced, looking up at her "He wants to meet up."

"What? Why?" Fishlegs cried out.

"Let's be real about this, we know he doesn't want to meet with you." Matt spoke up, shaking his head at the thought "We all know this is a trap for you, Hiccup."

"No. Not for me." Hiccup corrected, shaking his head. Flipping the letter over, he explained "He wants to talk to you."

"Me? Why me?" Matt asked in shock.

Heather looked at Matt with worry. It was an easy reason why Viggo wanted to 'talk' to him. "Because you killed Darien. You took away his only ability to fight us in the skies."

"Where does he want to Matt to meet him?" Astrid asked, walking up to Hiccup.

"Here." He announced, laying the paper down on the table "The Island circled in red."

Everyone crowded around the map to see what Hiccup was pointing at. Sure enough, a small island, all by itself, was circled red.

"He picked a spot in the middle of nowhere!" Astrid cried out "Convenient that it's a nice long flight to tire out Matt's dragon."

"You're not going are you?" Heather gasped, turning to face Matt with a paling face.

"Of course he's not!" Snotlout laughed "Because it's a trap! Definitely a trap!"

"He just wants to ambush Matt and get even with him for beating Darien!" Astrid argued, looking at Hiccup with worry "Don't you think it's odd that he wants to talk to Hiccup Haddock's brother, and not you, yourself? The leader of the riders?"

"I don't know why he wants to talk to Matt, but ambushing someone like this isn't his style." Hiccup countered, staring at the map intensely "He likes to out-think his opponent. Set up something he can exploit later."

Heather groaned, making everyone turn towards her "I don't want to admit this, but Hiccup's right. When I was held captive for the few days I was, Viggo wanted to try and turn me against you guys. He wants to hurt us from within. He plays dirty in different ways. Nothing really super direct. Like an ambush."

"But why Matt?" Astrid asked in frustration, glancing between Matt at the map.

Matt studied the spot, thinking of the possible reasons. It really didn't make that much sense. Yeah, he was Hiccup's 'brother', but even then, he held hardly any position or rank above the others. If there was a ranking system, he was pretty sure Astrid was higher on the totem pole than he was.

"I'm going to think about this." Hiccup began to say, shaking his head at the decision ahead.

"No. I've gotta go." Matt announced aloud, making everyone turn to stare at him. Walking up to the map, he explained "We all know that Viggo will come after us, whether I meet up with him or not." Looking at Heather, he added "We might as well see what he wants."

"Are you sure, Matt?" Astrid asked, looking at him with worry "If it is a trap, it's going to be one that you're not going to be able to get away from. Or survive. He'll make sure of that."

"I'm sure. He's like Zekir. The direct way to do things isn't fun for him. Or rewarding." Matt continued to explain "He's going to want to talk, though I have no idea what about."

"Matt…" Heather whispered, shaking her head in worry.

"I'll be fine. Wasatch will be with me and I'll make him stay at a distance away to watch for anything suspicious." He continued to say, taking the map from Hiccup. Turning to him, he added "Maybe it'll tip us off what he's planning."

"I'm going to send Astrid with you." Hiccup began to say "It specifically says that I'm not to come. But at least Astrid will provide a little extra security. And Heather is still recovering. Besides, if we send more than one escort for you, he might think we're crossing him."

"Not a bad idea to do…" Snotlout muttered, rolling his eyes.

Matt nodded in agreement, seeing Astrid also nod at her assignment "Sounds like a plan. We'll leave right away then."

"Let me get my axe and I'll be up in the air in a second." Astrid called out, turning to run out of the clubhouse

Matt nodded in silence. Staring at the island, he felt Heather gently grab his arm. Turning to her, he flashed her a confident smile, saying "If it looks like a trap, we'll bug out."

"No, I know it's not going to be a trap." Heather whispered, looking at him in concern "Just…just hear what he has to say, and then get out. Okay? Don't listen to anything else he might say."

"I will. Thanks, Heather." He whispered back "Just rest and recover. We'll go for a ride tomorrow, deal?"

Heather silently agreed, watching him return his attention to the map. In her stomach, she had a sinking pit feeling, one that made her feel sick.

* * *

Wasatch growled dangerously as he, Matt, Stormfly, and Astrid cut through the clouds. It wasn't hard to see why. A hunter's ship was moored close by the island designated for the meeting.

"Well, at least he's not lying about meeting you here." Astrid growled, narrowing her eyes as they flew closer to the island.

"We don't know if it's him yet." Matt quickly replied, scanning the island warily "He could have built one of those stupid black curtain launchers and hidden it somewhere."

"Are you going to be alright, Matt?" Astrid asked, seeing continue to scan the small island.

"I guess we'll see. There's Viggo." He replied, pointing to a lone man sitting in the middle of the field. He had a small table set up, with something laid on top of it.

"Nowhere near him for any men to hide." Astrid chimed in, circling around the island while also scanning the island. Looking at Viggo, still sitting and staring at the table, she suggested "He'd be easy to pick off from here, you know."

"No. If we attack him now, we'll be worse than the hunters. Besides, we want to know what he wants to talk about." Matt replied, narrowing his eyes as he noticed something on the grass field "What're all those blue…flowers all over?"

"I was looking at them too. I think those are Blue Oleanders." She called out "They're poisonous to dragons!"

"Clever. That way I can't have Wasatch with me." Matt huffed, seeing that Viggo still prepared for them "I'm going down. Watch that ship for me."

"Be careful, Matt." Astrid called out, continuing to fly circles around the small island.

Matt let Wasatch land on a patch of grass, clear from the blue flowers. Resting on his dragon, Matt frowned as he saw Viggo make no move to greet or acknowledge him. Unbuckling himself from the bindings, he let himself down. "Stay here, bud. Hit him if he makes a move on me. Got it?" He instructed, petting Wasatch as he started to walk towards Viggo.

Wasatch growled in acknowledgement. As Matt walked away, he let lightning start to radiate from his back, charging up for a lethal shot.

As Matt got closer to Viggo, an object began to burn in his pocket, making him reach to grab it. The traitor piece that Viggo gave Hiccup when they first met each other. Well, when Viggo lauded himself over Hiccup when he was paralyzed by Banshee. The closer he got to Viggo, the harder it became to not send his knife into him. He was the one that created the Darien that haunted them. He was the reason why Ukiah was forced to fight Zekir. He was the reason for all their troubles. Visibly swallowing to calm himself, he walked up to Viggo and saw that he was staring at a Maces and Talon's board. Perfect.

Marching in front of Viggo, he placed the traitor piece on the board while growling "Hiccup sends his regards, and returns your gift."

"You came!" Viggo exclaimed, finally looking up at Matt. His dark smile and smug expression seemed to boil Matt's blood "I'm actually surprised that Hiccup didn't show instead. He's stubborn when he wants something."

"You're not surprised. I mean, it's not like you purposely camped on an island that is littered with flowers that are poisonous to dragons." Matt replied sarcastically, folding his arms and glaring at him.

"Precautions. Everyone has to take them. I noticed you came with a friend. Astrid isn't it?" Viggo explained, shrugging at the comment.

Matt watched as Astrid flew in and out of view. Shaking his head, he growled "Like you said, precautions. The last time I came to meet someone that wanted me dead, my dragon was captured and I had my head split open." At that, he pushed his hair aside to show Viggo the scar that went up from his eye to the center of his head. "So forgive me if I'm a little more hesitant meeting with you."

"Indeed, I do understand." Viggo answered, smiling at the sight.

"Look, what do you want? I'm already getting bored with the conversation." Matt snarled, standing straight up and glaring at him.

"To compliment you, Matt." He explained "It's not every day I'm fooled. Even more than that, deceived."

"Should be talking to Hiccup then." Matt huffed, rolling his eyes "He's the brains behind all our actions."

"Is he?" He asked, looking at Matt skeptically "Sure, he may have had the ideas, but ask yourself this. Who's been the most lethal and costly to me? In all your previous battles, who's been the one that consistently did the most damage, and never fell?"

"All of us." Matt growled, narrowing his eyes.

"You." He continued to say "All this time, I thought my enemy was Hiccup. And to an extent, he very much is. But it's been you that's been the greatest hindrance to me and my operations. Your Skrills have sunk more ships, freed more dragons, and killed more men than all the riders together."

"That's a stretch of a claim." Matt snapped back, shaking his head "You're discrediting yourself when it comes to your men's loss of life."

"I agree, I've put men in positions to be…pawns." Viggo admitted "But you are the one that I have to plan to counter. You're the one who I worry about." Before Matt could say anything, Viggo quickly explained "You never fell for my lies and deceits regarding Heather. I sincerely thought I could make you distrust her. I was wrong. If you take charge of the riders, by replacing your brother, I'm terrified of the potential losses. You're not afraid to pull the trigger."

Matt just stared at Viggo, his face darkening as he listened.

"You certainly set me back with what you did to Darien. None of the other riders would have done the same as you have. At least, to the same extent."

"Clearly you don't know us as well as you say you do." Matt growled.

"I do though. Your little group has had some impressive victories recently. I've had to reroute trading lanes, try to cover the losses of all the dragons you've freed, and also have to search outside of the archipelago for financing. Don't kid yourself, Matt. Your group has hurt me."

"It's Hiccup's group. Not mine." Matt corrected "Stop calling it mine."

"I'm simply directing it as I see it. You're clearly the one worth dealing with, not Hiccup. He's so caught up in his world of freeing dragons and having no consequences, that it blinds him. You know how the real world works. You're the one that should lead the riders. So from here on out, I'm only wanting to deal with you. Which is why I wanted to visit with you."

"Not going to happen. This is a one-time thing." Matt huffed, again rolling his eyes "What do you want Viggo?"

"Listen here, Matthew Haddock. You and your friends are worthy opponents. We could be fighting for years. Or…"

Matt didn't say anything. He just stood there with his arms folded.

"Or we can stop fighting today. I'm offering a truce."

"I'm leaning more towards a surrender." Matt growled, seeing Viggo reach for something. Instinctively, he felt for his knife, waiting for what Viggo was grabbing.

"Heheheheh, you're just like Hiccup. A witty sense of humor…" Viggo chuckled, shaking his head. At that, he whipped out a large map, with a thick red line drawn in the middle "You stay south of the given line, and my men and I will stay above it. We never have to fight again." Standing up, Viggo then outstretched his arms to Matt, as if beckoning him to come closer "Matthew, I'm not unreasonable. I have no desire to rule the world like…some people. Like Zekir the Black Heart, or his father Strogg the Stone. I'm a businessman, and fighting is bad for business."

"What about the Dragon Eye, or Berk's gold?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow at the proposal.

"I'm afraid those aren't part of the deal." Viggo quickly replied, his facial expression darkening at the subject "Listen, Matt. I'm offering you the chance to save the life of every dragon below this line. Not to mention those of your fellow riders." At that he gestured to Astrid flying above them. "I am willing to memorialize this deal now, and end the bloodshed." Viggo then drew out a pencil with some kind of red stone. Signing the map, he then handed it to Matt and asked "Are you?"

Matt stared at the pencil, hundreds of thoughts running through his mind. Shaking his head, he then growled "Despite what you think, this isn't my choice to make. It's Hiccup's."

"Whatever you say, Matt." Viggo replied in a caring tone "I still believe you are the leader that would help your dragon riders thrive, but do what you feel is right." Rolling up the map, he handed it to Matt and said "Go tell him the offer, and then return to me here in a couple of days with your answer."

Reluctantly, Matt took the map, tucking it into his belt, and turned to walk off.

"Oh, how is Ukiah doing? I trust he survived losing his arm?" Viggo lauded over him, his evil smirk returning to his face. Seeing Matt pause, he added "Just remember, time is of the essence. How much longer until another one of your friends suffers a similar fate. Or a fate like Ukiah's dragon."

Matt curled his fists in anger. Trying so hard to control his tongue, he swallowed and continued to walk towards Wasatch.

Watching him mount on the Skrill, he whispered to himself "You really were the traitor piece in the game. I can't believe it took me this long to see that…"

Watching both Matt and Astrid fly out of view, he simply chuckled, thinking of the opportunities he just opened up. Including one involving an island of dragon lovers and so called, 'defenders'. Laughing, he began to walk to where his ship was moored. Seeing some of his men on deck, he ordered "Set the sails! We're heading to our destination!"

* * *

"Wait. A truce?!" Heather cried out, staring at the map laid out on the fireplace mantel "That's what he wanted to talk to Matt about? Not you, Hiccup?"

"That's a pretty serious-looking map." Fishlegs piped in "Look at the detail. This had to be one of his navigating maps. At least one that had some significance in his collection."

"We're not actually thinking of doing this, are we, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, turning to look at Hiccup and Matt, who were busy contemplating over a board of Maces and Talons. "Uh, Hiccup? Matt? The map is over here."

"But the answers are here." Hiccup explained "Matt said that Viggo had a board game of Maces and Talons when they were talking."

"He was very much talking like he had a second agenda." Matt added, looking up at the group "He only wants to deal with me now, which means to me, is that he's trying to throw Hiccup for a loop. Keeping him guessing on what his real motives are. I really don't think he wants a truce. He wants to be in a position to jump on an opportunity. What that could be, I have no idea."

"It fits Viggo perfectly actually." Hiccup continued to say "He's a game player. He wants to keep us away from whatever is on his side of the line."

"Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he broke the truce after we signed it. If we signed it." Matt added, looking at Heather and Astrid "Honestly, it'd probably shake him up a little bit as far as his plans and agendas go." Looking at Hiccup, he quietly added "Might be worth it just to see."

"No. He wants to keep us away from somewhere over on his side of the game board." Hiccup affirmed, knowing he was right.

"Say you're right about that, where do we find where that something is?" Astrid asked, walking up to the two Haddocks.

"We know Viggo. He won't give up any more territory than he has too." Hiccup began to explain, standing up and walking past Astrid "So, whatever he wants to keep us away from, it's going to be right on the edge of the line." Staring at the map, he then growled "Right here."

Everyone looked at where he was pointing. A small island, looking like a volcano was right there, next to the line.

"We'll start there." Hiccup began to say "Me, Astrid, and Matt will check it out. The twins will go to Berk to get Ukiah. I have a feeling we're going to need his tracking and scouting skills. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Heather will stay and defend the Edge, in case Viggo is trying to undermine us and destroy our home while we're away."

"Hiccup! I'm going with you!" Heather quickly argued "I'm a lot stronger now. By the time we leave tomorrow, I'll be more than okay to ride and scout with you guys."

"Heather, you just got captu-"

"And?!" She interrupted "You're sending the twins for Ukiah! Who just lost his arm and dragon! If you think he's ready to help, then I am too! I was just tied up and starved!"

Hiccup wanted to protest, but Matt quickly intervened "Let her come, Hiccup. She's good with an axe and she is getting stronger. Keeping her cooped up here isn't going to help her any."

Looking at Matt, Hiccup sighed as he nodded "Fine. Because you'll come anyways if I tell you to stay."

"You're right. I would." She growled, folding her arms and relishing in her victory.

"The rest of you, your responsibilities haven't changed. At first light, we split for our destinations. Got it?" Hiccup continued to instruct.

"Got it. I'll be ready." Astrid affirmed, looking down at the map and island they were going to.

Matt also stared at the map, wondering what game Viggo was playing. And also, why he wanted himself instead of Hiccup to come. Matt couldn't help but think of the possibility that he rolled right into Viggo's plan, and wondering what the potential repercussions were going to be.

* * *

 _ **Hey there! Good news everyone, I'm almost done with the last chapter. I'll probably post it Sunday or next Monday after I review it and clean it up a little. Other than that, there isn't much else to tell. I'll give my final thoughts with the last chapter. Thanks again for all the support! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

 _ **-Dustnblood**_


	24. Chapter 24: A Queen and a Hermit

**Chapter Twenty-Four: A Queen and a Hermit**

* * *

Matt stared ahead of him, waiting for anything to slowly emerge into view. Glancing over to his left, he saw Hiccup and Astrid gliding close to each other, with Hiccup having the map opened up on his saddle. To his right, he saw Heather on Windshear, wearing a spare set of armor and a new brown tunic with grey pants; covering all the cuts and slashes she acquired Just that made her look healthier, never mind the cut on her cheek actually looking like it was closing.

Seeing him stare at her, Heather flashed him an ensuring smile. Letting Windshear glide close to Wasatch, she asked "A rune for your thought?"

Letting a smile grow on his face, Matt shook his head as he said "Just looking at how beautiful you are."

What would have embarrassed her, Heather smiled at the compliment, glad that their relationship was returning to normal. Well, as normal as it could be for a boy from another world and a girl that had estranged family issues, along with the small fact they were both dragon riders waging a war against two brothers and their dragon trapper fleet and army.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, watching her carefully.

"I'm fine Matt. I'm not hurting anymore. Just sore." She laughed, shaking her head him. At that, she drew her axe and swung it around "I'm doing a lot better. Especially now that we're doing something together." Looking ahead, she then laughed "Just don't do something where I have to fight for you again."

Matt smiled, glad that she was back and being herself. Shaking his head with a smile, he also returned his attention ahead of him "For what it's worth. I'm glad you're back with us."

"Me too." Came the soft reply.

Teton growled in annoyance, gliding down from atop of them. Tagging along with Matt since they left, he slowly banked left and right to try and entertain himself.

"Sorry bud, but I don't think I can afford to ride you on missions. Not until we get to the same level me and Wasatch are at." Matt called out, smiling apologetically at the Skrill.

Teton grunted, rolling his eyes at the comment. Gliding closer to Windshear, he started to growl at her, as if starting a conversation.

Smiling at the two dragons, Matt and Heather laughed as the dragons 'conversed' with each other. "Heh, Teton's really adjusted to being with other dragons, huh?" She observed, seeing Windshear smile at Teton.

"Since everyone's treated him like family, he's probably taken to liking this lifestyle." Matt replied with a smile.

"The reason why I wanted to stay." She commented, slightly looking down and staring at nothing. Then, with a somewhat forced smile, added "You being another reason."

"You ok?" Matt asked, seeing a slightly hurt expression on her face.

"Just thinking…about family." She answered, looking over at Matt "I remember when Darien showed us Dagur's dagger. I couldn't show it, since…you know, we were frozen; but my heart shattered when I saw it." Her eyes started to mist as she asked "Did she actually get him? Is he dead?"

Sighing, Matt coasted Wasatch closer to her. Since he was standing, he let the Skrill glide right under Windshear, so that he was literally right next to her, though looking up "Heather…he died trying to buy us time. He was trying to protect us. Trying to protect you."

Heather closed her eyes, nodding as Matt explained her brother's fate.

"I'm sorry, Heather. If I was able, and not paralyzed, I would have tried to help him. He was honest when he said he cared about you. And wanted to be your big brother." Reaching up, he grabbed her hand and whispered "He left a note in your bed. One that was meant for you."

Heather looked down at Matt, partly shocked at the news.

"I…may have read it." He admitted "It was the same night you were captured by Darien. I needed to calm myself somehow. I also thought you wanted to be with Ukiah, so…"

"You know that was never the case-" She began to argue, only to be stopped.

"I know. I didn't listen to you or him." Matt replied, smiling at her "When we get back, I'll give you the letter. It's in my desk. But I need to tell you one thing that he wanted to tell you. Something he wanted to tell you before he…he sacrificed himself."

Heather nodded shallowly, waiting to hear what Matt was going to say. Just as he was going to speak, he was cut off by Hiccup, who shouted: "That's it!"

Looking ahead, they saw a volcanic island come into view. "I'll tell you later, when we have a chance to sit down." Matt whispered, looking up at Heather.

Heather nodded, flashing him a smile. "Thank you." She whispered.

Smiling back, Matt winked at her as he banked Wasatch next to Hiccup, who was staring at the island ahead. Pulling his mind into the present, Matt then commented "Looks smaller than most." Pulling his goggles up over his eyes to shield them from the sun, he then asked aloud "Why would Viggo be interested in this island?"

"Maybe because there's a village on the west side. In the clearing." Astrid pointed out, gesturing to what she was seeing.

Hiccup pulled out his spyglass, peering at where the village was located. Shrouded in large pine trees, and built on and around cliffs, he commented "Strange-looking buildings. Not Viking or Hunter. And check out that statue."

"Sure thing, let me just adjust my eyes real-quick like so I can see that far." Matt called out sarcastically.

Scowling at Matt, Hiccup then tossed the spyglass to Matt. Catching it, he then looked over at the village ever getting closer. "Think you can see what kind of dragon that statue is supposed to be?" Hiccup asked, looking ahead at the island.

"I'm not Fishlegs, but I'll give it a shot." Matt replied, peering through the scope "It's big with a large looking mouth. It looks like a Boulder-class dragon. I mean, look at the jaw. That'd crush most boulders." Tossing the spyglass to Heather so she could see, he smiled as he said "Let's go ask them what it is, shall we?"

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa!" Astrid called out, stopping Matt from surging ahead "We don't know if they're friend or foe. How about we do a little reconnaissance first? See what we're looking at."

"And look like we're enemies?" Matt replied back, rolling his eyes at the thought "Imagine if we found someone scouting out Dragon's Edge. Would we think they're friends?"

"Astrid has a point." Hiccup began to say, making everyone turn towards him "We'll land over in that forest and try to get a closer look on foot."

"Again, we're looking like enemies if we do that." Matt argued "Let me fly towards the village. If they see me and Wasatch, and act hostile towards us, then we can come back with plan. If they're peaceful, I'll let you know. Otherwise, we'll be treated as enemies regardless."

"No, let's scout the island together. See if we can't pick up on some clues about who's living there." Hiccup affirmed "Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll know what we're up against."

Letting out a hot huff of air, Matt slowly nodded as Hiccup and Astrid began to glide towards the forest.

"Come on, he's right about starting sooner." Heather called out, gliding alongside Matt.

"Yeah. I guess he does." Matt growled, shaking his head. At that, both Wasatch and Windshear chased after Toothless and Stormfly, flying towards the cover of the trees. Teton growled tiredly, following the band of dragons.

* * *

"Huh, it's a pretty thick forest for being on a small island." Heather commented, sliding off Windshear and looking around the towering pine trees "Also the fact that the volcano still looks active. Why would anyone want to settle here?"

"Dunno." Matt replied, jumping off of Wasatch "Definitely a question we should ask when we eventually meet up with whoever lives here."

"Stay here bud." Hiccup instructed, starting to walk in the direction towards the village "Come on guys, this way."

Matt gestured for Heather to walk ahead of him, as did Astrid. Turning to Wasatch and Teton, he replied "Wait here with Toothless and Stormfly, guys. We'll be back shortly." At that, he turned and followed Heather, walking alongside of her.

As the four trekked through the forest, Astrid scanned their surroundings. "You know, that village didn't seem like much. Why wouldn't Viggo want us to find it?"

"Honestly, I don't know yet." Hiccup replied, shrugging his shoulders "I'm just glad I'm one step ahead for a change."

"Could be the fact that this village and the hunters are fighting each other." Matt suggested, making Hiccup and Astrid turn to face him "I mean, it's not like Viggo's exactly a popular guy with others. And that statue seems to be valued by the village. Perhaps they love dragons. Or maybe even worship them. Viggo would butt heads with them a lot if that's the case. Then there's the chance they're allies with each other. Maybe the hunters are protecting this island and the people on it. If they supply the hunters with dragons, they get protection in return."

"Possibly." Hiccup agreed, nodding his head in approval. Turning to see where he was going, he then said "I haven't seen any signs of hostility."

"Or peace." Heather added, making sure her new fore arm guards were securely strapped on "We haven't seen any kind of evidence that people actually live here. Except for the village of course." At that, she quickly whirled around, surprising Matt with her speed.

"What is it?' He asked, turning to see what she was looking for.

Heather didn't say anything. Eyeing a thicket of trees, she let out a nervous sigh. "Thought I heard something." Turning to see Hiccup and Astrid walking down the trail, she then felt for her axe, making sure that it was ready to be used if needed "Does it…does it feel like we're being watched?" She asked.

Matt scanned the trees above them. Heather was right. It was way too quiet for getting closer to the village. Watching Heather resume walking, he then saw something that made his heart sink. With his snowboarding reflexes, he shot his hand out and heaved Heather back, keeping her from walking forwards.

"What?! What is it?" She gasped shocked at Matt holding her back.

"Shh…look." Matt whispered, pointing at a tree.

Staring at where he was pointing, Heather gasped as she saw what he saw. A thin green rope, blending with the tree and shrubbery. A noose lay at the base of the tree, right were Heather was about to step.

"Guys?" Hiccup called out, turning to see Matt and Heather stopped "What's wrong?"

Astrid suddenly gasped, making Hiccup whirl towards her. "I think I have an idea with what's wrong…" She whispered "Look up."

Hiccup did so, looking up at where she gestured. His blood froze as he stared at a few figures staring back at them. Suddenly, they all drew something, looking like tubes.

"Dart guns!" Matt shouted, staring at the figures in fear "Get out of there!"

Hiccup threw his hands up, he shouted "We come in peac-"

His words were cut off as a dart hit him in the neck, making him collapse onto the ground.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, kneeling down and grabbing him. Trying to drag him away, she felt two pricks hit her in the back and the back of her neck. Feeling herself lose feeling, she shouted as loud as she could "Get the oth…ers…" Collapsing, she quickly joined Hiccup on the ground.

"Run!" Matt shouted, grabbing Heather and dragging her back to their dragons.

Heather quickly drew her axe, running behind Matt. Both of them had their hearts pumping with the sudden change of events. What was a casual stroll through the forest, had now turned into a frantic foot chase!

Heather glanced behind her and saw two figures running through the trees above them. One drew out a dart gun, aiming it down at them. Seeing the dart fly towards them, she swung her axe and hit it out of the air.

"Go! Go!" Matt shouted, seeing where they left their dragons.

Heather recovered from her block and was right behind him, running as hard as she could. Suddenly, she felt something prick her in the leg. It was numbing, and she could feel herself lose sense of control of her body. Unable to keep herself up, she stumbled and crashed into the ground, rolling to a stop.

"Heather!" Matt screamed, whirling around to try and grab her.

"Go!" She shouted, fighting to stay awake "Get…the…drag…"

Matt gasped as two more darts flew into her, hitting her where her armor didn't protect her and making her finally fall silent. Whirling around he sprinted towards the clearing where they landed their dragons. Seeing Teton and Wasatch, as well as the others, he quickly leapt onto Wasatch while screaming "Go! Go! Back to the Edge!"

Teton surged forward and up, hearing the despair in Matt's voice. Wasatch waited for Matt to position himself. Toothless, Stormfly, and Windshear looked at him, unsure of what was going on.

Before Matt could say anything else, a hail of darts drilled the three dragons. Wasatch roared as he collapsed onto the ground, eventually not moving. Matt rolled off of his dragon, unsure of what just happened. Sitting up, he saw a single dart sticking out of the center of his chest. He was hit. Feeling himself fall into a shroud of darkness, he looked up to see a large amount of the figures leap out of the trees and towards him and the dragons. Falling onto his back, he simply lay there until the darkness overcame him.

* * *

"Ugh…huh?" Matt groaned, starting to feel his senses returning, at least to the point he could comprehend what was going on.

"Matt?" Heather's voice sounded "Is that you?"

"Heather?" Matt replied, trying to open his eyes.

"…they're waking. Go inform the queen…" A muffled voice whispered, making him turn to where he thought he heard it.

"Huh? Ugh! No!" Heather's voice sounded again, sounding like she was right behind him and strained. He felt something pull him from behind.

Clenching his eyes shut, he shook his head to help him wake up. Whatever was used to knock him out, it was strong, and still lingering.

"Huh…what the?" Hiccup groaned, sounding to his left.

"Great…" Astrid's voice followed up with, also sounding from his left.

Forcing his eyes open, he tried to rub his head, only to feel his hands restrained behind him. He was tied up. "Fantastic." He muttered sarcastically, pulling on the ropes that bound his wrists. Looking down, he saw a number of coils around his chest, tying him to something.

"Matt, are you ok?" Heather asked, her voice sounding clearer.

"I'm awake. Or trying to at least." He huffed, turning his head to look behind him. He gasped as he saw Heather's face turned to the side and looking at him too. Then it hit him. The reason he was being pulled against was that he and Heather were tied back to back! "Heather!" He grunted, finally realizing what was going on. Grunting he tested the ropes, he then asked "How are you? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No more than before I was drugged." She replied angrily, also testing the ropes "Didn't think I'd be tied up this soon though, if I'm honest." Letting out a huff of hot air, she vented "Going to side with you on this Matt, it's getting really old."

"Guys, settle down!" Astrid called out, making the two turn to face her. Seeing her and Hiccup tied similarly as them, they simply stared at her "You're not helping by shouting. Just stay calm. We'll explain everything when we get the chance. Besides, I can see the knots on your ropes. You're not getting out."

"Awesome attitude." Matt grunted sarcastically, trying to sit up straighter, which ended up shifting Heather as well. Looking around, it was easy to see they were in some kind of room. It didn't look like a prison, but in their current situation, it might as well as been. "Where's our dragons? Where are they keeping them?"

"Don't know. Our guards don't seem to be very talkative." Hiccup replied, looking up from his position.

Turning his head as much as he could, Matt saw two persons standing there, watching them with narrowed eyes and folded arms. They black leather apparel, with half masks covering their mouths. Similar to Heather's cloth mask. "Dammit." He whispered, still tugging on the ropes. Heather too was trying hers, feeling for any weakness or flaw in the knots "I told you we should have tried to just talk to them! Instead of sneaking around their island!" He growled, reaching and feeling Heather's ropes, trying to untie them from his end.

"Not now, Matt!" Hiccup hissed, seeing a full escort of guards begin to enter their room.

"Help me turn around to see what's going on." Matt huffed, trying to shift himself.

"Sure, give me a second…" Heather grunted as she began to shift herself so that Matt would positioned in a way so he could see their new guests. Astrid whispered something to Hiccup, to which he nodded and also began to copy Matt and Heather. As both groups were situated in a better position to see, they all narrowed their eyes as a large man with no face mask walked past the rest of the masked guards. He had reddish orange hair, slicked back smoothly. Glaring at the prisoners, he began to slowly pace back and forth, as if judging them.

"What's he doing?" Heather whispered, scowling at the apparent leader.

"Don't know. I'm guessing we'll find out soon enough." Matt whispered back, shifting his feet to help stabilize himself.

Finally, stopping in the middle of the two groups, tied back to back, the man growled "I am Throk. Who is your leader of this misfit band?"

"Misfits?" Matt scoffed, glaring at Throk "Clearly you haven't seen yourselves. Nice hair, bro."

"Matt!" Hiccup hissed, turning to glare at him. Shaking his head, he then looked up at Throk and answered "I am. My name is Hic-Ooff!"

Throk kicked Hiccup, silencing him. Turning around, he then shouted "All hail, Mala. Queen Defender of the Wing!"

All four stared as the guards parted ways, all the while bowing. A single lady began to walk through the doorway to their room. She wore a royal looking outfit, a deep black color while trimmed with gold. Matt couldn't help but notice the designs looked oriental. Almost styled after the Chinese, or Japanese. With the gold trim outlining the armor like outfit, some of it was formed into designs of dragons.

Queen Mala narrowed her eyes as she stared at the trespassers and prisoners, as if debating their fate.

Staring up at her, Matt then whispered "Really wish we just came to talk to them…" Shifting his head towards Heather, he added "Defender of the Wing? Have you heard anything like that?"

"No. Now shut up! She's looking right at us!" She hissed, looking up at Mala.

Narrowing her eyes, Mala then asked aloud "Think carefully, Dragon Hunters. Think very carefully with what you say while I ask you some questions. Your lives depend on what you answer and how I judge you." Turning, she ordered "Untie them from each other and take them to the courtyard. I'll question them there!"

"Whoa! Wait!" Hiccup shouted, making Mala stop and face him "We do not hunt dragons! We're not even close to that!"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Mala scoffed, chuckling at the claim. Turning to Throk, She added "Separate them. I'll question them individually."

"Yes, Queen Mala." Throk replied, bowing to her.

Matt looked at Hiccup as they were all swarmed by the guards. Being hefted up onto their feet, he felt the ropes around them loosen. Whirling around, he saw Heather get pulled away from him, being marched ahead.

Flashing him an assuring smile, she simply walked ahead, followed by Astrid, and then Hiccup.

Getting pushed right behind Hiccup, Matt whispered "Did she say we were Dragon Hunters?"

Before Hiccup could say anything, he was then pulled down another hallway, leading outside.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, trying to fight her captors "Ugh, get off! We're not Dragon Hunters!"

The guards never said a word. Grabbing her by the shoulders, they violently shoved her into a room, shutting the door and locking it from the outside.

"Stop! We're telling the truth!" Heather roared, also fighting the guards that held her. Similarly to Astrid, they tried to shove her in a room, though she was prepared for it and fought them.

"Get your hands off of her!" Matt roared, kicking at one of his guards. Suddenly, his leg riveted with a lightning like pain. Gasping, he crashed to the floor.

"Matt!" Heather cried, unable to help him. Overpowered by the guards, she too was thrown in her room with the door closed.

Feeling himself dragged into his own room, he felt himself dropped onto floor. Clenching his eyes in pain, he looked up to see the door get slammed shut. Coping with his leg, he rolled over to see what caused it to hurt. His brace was missing. Whoever these Defenders of the Wing were, they took it from him.

Looking at the door, he simply whispered "This is going to be trickier than I thought…" Shifting his hands to continue to work the ropes around his wrists, he simply stared at the door, wondering what their future would be. Whatever it was, he knew it would be decided by the Queen named Mala.

* * *

Lasher skimmed above the water, letting one of his three tails drag along the water. The sky was overcast, and fog was starting to set in. It was an eerie setting, to which both dragon and rider didn't pay much attention to.

Ukiah looked ahead at the fog, trying to see any signs of land. A sea stack even. After the couple of days heading south-east on their journey, both Ukiah and Lasher were starting to feel the exhaustion from constantly traveling. But with the speed of Lasher, and the hours they have put in, it was supposed to be today when they found Crev.

The thought of finding his home filled him with a certain anxiety. Would it be like anything he saw in his dreams? Or would it be something completely different? He honestly had no way of knowing or guessing. Then the thought of who he wished was with him came. Arrow.

Sighing, he reached down and pulled out a bolt from the quiver strapped to his saddle. He never could get himself to get rid of his gear, even if he couldn't use it. Well, to be as efficient as he used to be with it. The special crossbow Hiccup and Matt designed for him was strapped to the back of the saddle, given that he could still use it since it reloaded itself. He just couldn't shoot it as fast. Staring at the bolt in hand, he observed the arrowhead. It was one of Arrow's teeth, which he used often for arrowheads since a handful of them fell out every couple days. Plus, they were already sharp and had the basic shape of an arrowhead, making it easier to fit and shape. Frowning as he thought of his passed friend, he slid the bolt back into the quiver and unrolled the map. Using his legs, he pinned one end of the map down and unrolled it with his one arm. Staring at the roughly drawn island with the words Crev over it, he stared at where they came from. Island hopping from one to another, he guessed he already traveled a quarter of the way to Thariin if that was his destination. Staring at the map, he knew he had to be close. He had too!

Sighing, he shook his head as he gently, and slowly rolled up the map again, moving his fingers in a way that he could do it with one hand. Tucking it away in a saddle bag, he then started to look over himself and his new outfit. Stoick didn't just leave him a pack full of supplies, he had a new wolf fur vest tailored for him. It was special, considering that it had chainmail lined under the vest, similar to his old outfit. However, the difference with this one, was that it was silver, each ring being made of Gronckle Iron. The metal links were also specially tailored to him. It having chainmail act as a sleeve for his right arm, the left had a little pocket of chainmail for his stub to be covered and protected. He had his dagger strapped to his hip, as that was the only weapon he could use now. Shaking his head, he then returned his attention to scanning his surroundings to keep himself busy and relapsing into his recent loss.

Lasher then growled, as if warning or telling Ukiah something.

Looking down at the Triple Stryke with curiosity, he asked "What is it, friend?"

Lasher growled again, this time banking to the left and into thicker fog. Deciding to trust Lasher, Ukiah sat up straight in the saddle. By the way Lasher was moving, picking up speed and getting lower to the water where his feet were skimming the surface, he knew something was out there. Then, ever so slowly, from the depths of the fog, emerged a large island. So big that the fog covered both directions of it, making it look like it went on for eternity.

Lasher growled happily, pulling up and landing on the shoreline, right where the shallows started.

"Are we here boy? You think this is it?" Ukiah asked aloud, swinging his leg over and dropping down. Splashing into the water, he didn't care that he was getting wet. The shore was something pitiful really. Though techinally he was on a beach, it was over grown with thistle and was plagued by large rocks. The shores of Berk and Dragon's Edge put it the sorry excuse of a beach to shame.

Walking onto the sand, it didn't take him long to see that there was hardly any vegetation. The ground eventually turned from sand to a hard dirt, not even useable for growing things. As far as he could tell, there was no beaten path near him, not that it mattered. The only large thing on the island, were massive slick rock cliffs. No one could climb them, even if they wanted too. There were no hand or foot holds to climb it. However, the cliffs forced a natural pathway deeper into the island, created by large canyons due to the cliffs being on both sides.

Lasher slowly walked behind Ukiah, sniffing the air.

"What do you say friend? Wanna go in deeper?" Ukiah asked, already starting to walk down the canyon.

Lasher growled lightly, following Ukiah into the canyon. Tilting his head, he studied the landscape around him as he walked.

Though little vegetation was growing around, the thistle plagued the ground. Walking around and stepping on the stalks, Ukiah simply blazed his own trail. With the fog thickening, he could barely see both sides of the canyon, let alone what was ahead of him. Grunting he kept on pushing through, stepping on thistle and climbing up larger rocks to get away from the hindering thistle.

After a half hour of walking and trekking, he suddenly found himself standing in a clearing. There was no thistle, but rather weeds growing in between the gaps of smooth stone like bricks laying in the ground. In a pattern of a pathway, or some kind of street. Stopping, he stared at the sight of the bricks. They were…familiar to him. He remembered seeing this before. Looking up, a chilling thought ran through his mind. With a new fervor, he picked up his pace and walked ahead. If he was where he thought he was, then he knew he made it. He made it to Crev!

Lasher jogged after Ukiah, seeing him leave in a hurry. Growling to call out to him, he tilted his head in confusion as Ukiah froze in place. Seeing him stare at an object, Lasher stood behind him, wondering what he was looking at, it looked like a massive rock.

To Ukiah though, the rock was the confirmation of what he was hoping for. It was a large statue. One carved to look like a warrior. He had a flashback to a dream he had several years ago, when he 'saw' the statue for the first time. It scared him to see how similar it was to his dream, though now he knew it wasn't a dream. It was a vision. The warrior had a shield carved with his left arm, and somewhat detailed armor all over his body, including shin guards on the legs. The right arm and head were missing though, proving that he was indeed at his birth place.

Relishing in the feeling that he finally found his birthplace, he noticed objects fallen to the ground next to the statue. Kneeling down, he quickly saw that they were stone fragments. Using his one arm to pull them out of the dirt, he then began to line them up together, making a stone sword. Likely from the statue.

Staying crouched, he simply looked all around him. The fog still covered most of his view, but from his dream he had, he had an idea with what it looked like. The cliffs on either side of the village square were carved into, creating solid, sturdy homes and rooms. Standing up, he recalled one particular part of the dream he had of this place. In the dream, he walked into one of the rooms and found a skeleton. Curious if his 'vision' was accurate enough to even show him that, he walked over to the where the room should have been.

Finding the doorway, he kicked away the remains of the rotted wood that used to be the door. Walking in, he found that the room was littered with wrecked and destroyed furniture. Dust and sand collected in the corners of the single room, making big, orange piles of it inside.

Looking to down and next to the doorway, he saw what he was looking for. The skeleton. Right next to it was a rusted sword, showing years of exposure to the elements. Sighing, he glanced around the room and continued to study it.

Lasher, who was standing outside of the doorway, suddenly turned around and began to snarl. Readying his three tails, he stared into the fog with the look that he was going to kill.

"What is it?" Ukiah asked in alarm, walking out and next to his dragon. Drawing his dagger, he simply readied himself for whatever was out of there.

Scccchhh. Scccchhh. Something sounded off into the fog, as if scuffling its feet.

His blood freezing, Ukiah could only hold his ground. "Get ready...I'm willing to bet it's a dragon…" He growled, feeling his body tense up.

Staring at where the sound was coming from, the two watched a black figure slowly walk into view. Lasher then let out a warning growl, spreading his triple tail out and making himself more threatening.

Ukiah however, was shocked. It was a person! Slightly hunched over, the figure was cloaked in tattered rags. They held a long walking stick, littered with a series of varmint skulls and beads. Pelts and other skins were strapped to the barely seeable garments of the stranger, creating an eerie feeling in the air.

Stopping just barely in view of the fog, the person just stood there. The hood darkened their face, hiding any expression.

"Who are you?" Ukiah asked, raising his dagger in a position to strike with it "What do you want?"

"Hmm…maybe you should answer me those questions instead." The figure spoke with a hoarse voice "It's not every day, or year for that matter, that a stranger finds these sacred grounds. This…graveyard. Let alone on the back of a dragon." The voice clearly gave away that the figure was a woman.

"I'm from here…" Ukiah growled while narrowing his eyes "I came for personal reasons. Now tell me who you are! Before this dragon decides to tear you apart!"

"You…you're from here?" The figure gasped, her free hand clutching her heart "Wha-no. No. That's impossible. Can it be true?"

"It's the truth. I'm the last native from this island!" Ukiah barked "Now, this is your last warning. Tell me who you are!"

"You came…you finally found it!" The figure cried out, falling to her knees. Dropping her stick, and ignoring the quizzical looks from the boy and dragon, she continued to wail "You're Ukiah! You're Ukiah from Thariin aren't you?"

"Wha- How do you know me?!" Ukiah gasped, shocked at hearing his name "How did you know I lived in Thariin?!"

"I'm not surprised you don't recognize me. It's been…too many years since you last saw me, and you were so young. But regardless, I've been waiting for you to come here. To finally be strong enough to be taught. I just can't believe that it's been this many years of waiting, hoping you hadn't fallen to the wilderness." The stranger continued to cry. Slowly standing up, she then removed the hood, revealing her face.

Ukiah stared at the figure in horror and shock. Dropping the dagger, his body instantly began to shake due to the trauma of seeing the person. How could he forget the face? The person that taught him the basics of survival! The one that took him away from Crev when it was destroyed. It was Jessika! His caretaker!

"I've waited for this moment from the very day I had to leave you…hoping that you somehow survived!" She whispered, staring at Ukiah with a sincere smile "You…you finally came. And now, I'm ready to finish what I was charged to finish. Making you the most feared Crevite in the history of our tribe, Ukiah Legna."

* * *

 ** _Ok, I lied. I said I'd post it Sunday or Monday, but I finished a lot faster than I planned. That, and I have two tests to study for next week, so today is the best to finish this story._** ** _Holy cow. Can't believe I finally did_** ** _finish it though. It definitely took longer than I expected, and also ended up being longer than I planned. I was honestly going to end it with Ukiah back at Berk, and letting the auction battle be the last major scene, but decided to end a little bit on a cliff hanger; similar to RTTE Season 3. Hate me if you will._**

 ** _I know this story had some…unfavorable outcomes, ones that plenty of you voiced your displeasure. I'm sorry if that ruined the story for you, but it set it up perfectly for the next one; regardless of how Season 4 turns out to be._**

 ** _That being said, I have two announcements to make:_**

 ** _First, I will not be working on the fifth dragon boarder story until at least after school. Being the end of April. I mentioned this earlier, but this is a very crucial semester to me and my school work. I need to be entirely focused on it._**

 ** _Second, I'm curious as to know if you, as readers, like the Dragon Boarder series following along the seasons of RTTE, or if you liked it when it was original adventures. This will help me in regards to the next story, which I promise to write, I'm not sure what was enjoyed more. If you can leave me a review or a PM, telling me what you like more, whether it be following similarly to RTTE or Matt has his own original adventure, please tell me._**

 ** _Be it noted however, that I don't see myself posting a new Dragon Boarder story until mid to late summer. I'm sorry, but I was definitely burned out while writing this one and need to recharge._**

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 ** _Thank you to:_**  
 ** _TheWhisperingWarrior, for his incredible feedback and reviews. He's been on amazing follower in regards to the series._**

 ** _Fandom Potatoes, for being actively excited for every chapter posted and being a strong supporter of all my stories; not just the Dragon Boarder series._**

 ** _TheAnvilofWriting, who PM'd me quite frequently, and had incredible ideas for my story._**

 ** _And all those that have consistently left reviews and their thoughts. I know some of you are disappointed or frustrated that I did some things to characters or haven't used some of your posted ideas, but it's not because I don't like them or hate the character I 'hurt', it's because it either doesn't fit Matt's character, the ending plot line of the series as a whole, or the role that needs to be played at this moment. In the time line of the series, Matt hasn't even been around for a year yet. A lot can still happen in the future. I mean, a lot._**

 ** _Again, thank you for the support, and I hope you all have a great day, week, month, semester or whatever you desire._**

 ** _Until we meet again, whether here with my next story, or if you drop a message to say hi. I'll try to do the same, but I promise to reply if you message. I always do. Take care and read on!_**

 ** _-Dustnblood_**


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